A ‘terrorist’ attack killed four members of Iran’s security forces in asoutheastern region beset by anti-government protests as well as extremistand criminal unrest, official media reported on Monday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members were killed “during aterrorist act” in the Saravan region of Sistan-Baluchistan province nearthe Pakistani border, the state IRNA news agency said.
The region is one of Iran’s poorest and is home to the Baluchi minority,who adhere to Sunni Islam rather than the Shiite branch predominant in Iran.
“The powerful presence of the security forces pushed elements of the groupto flee towards Pakistan,” IRNA said about the assailants without providingfurther details.
The area has previously seen clashes with drug smuggling gangs as well asrebels from the Baluchi minority and Sunni Muslim extremist groups.
Earlier this month a cleric was killed after being kidnapped from hismosque in Khash, a town in Sistan-Baluchistan.
A chief prosecutor said last week that the killers of cleric AbdulwahedRigi had been arrested before trying to cross the border, and accused themof seeking to stir trouble between Sunnis and Shiites.
Violence erupted in the provincial capital Zahedan on September 30 andauthorities said six members of the security forces were among the dozensof people killed.
Local figures said the protests in Zahedan were triggered by anger over thereported rape of a teenage girl by a police officer.
Read Top Stories
Overseas-based activists accused security forces of firing on demonstrators.
*- Clerics attacked -*
The casualties came against the backdrop of nationwide unrest that followedthe September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, 22, after her arrest in Tehran bymorality police who accused her of violating Iran’s dress code for women.
Last month a delegation from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneiexpressed sadness and promised solutions in a visit to the area, officialmedia said at the time.
In violence elsewhere in Iran, IRNA reported on Monday that four Shiiteclergy were wounded by unknown assailants armed with a “sharp object” inthe Shiite holy city of Qom, south of Tehran.
Two of them were treated at the scene for injuries, while the other twowere taken to hospital but expected to be released, IRNA said.
Iran has executed two men it said were convicted of violence againstsecurity force members in connection with the nationwide protests. -APP/AFP
