Iranian security forces engaged in a 17-hour battle against simultaneous terrorist attacks in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, resulting in the deaths of 10 security officers and 18 militants, with 44 people injured. Video footage showed intense gunfights in the streets of two cities, with gunmen running as explosions and gunfire rocked the area. The militant group Jaish al-Adl, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, claimed responsibility for the attacks, which involved hostages, explosives, and suicide vests.
The fighting took place in Chabahar and Rask, where the attackers tried to take over military bases belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. However, they were unsuccessful in achieving their goals of capturing the headquarters of the Guards and martyr the security forces. The region in which the attacks occurred, near the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, is known for its restive nature, with a strong presence of smugglers, drug lords, and separatist Sunni militant groups. The region’s predominantly ethnic Baluch and Sunni population has long accused the central Shiite government of discrimination.
Jaish al-Adl stated that 168 of its fighters participated in the attack as a means to prevent Iran’s development of the Makan area on the shores of the Persian Gulf. The Revolutionary Guards issued a warning that the security of the Iranian people is a red line and vowed to confront Iran’s enemies forcefully, accusing Israel of involvement in the terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, a woman advocate of Baluch rights, Ziba, expressed shock over the attacks and described how people in Zahedan closely followed the events on television and social media.
State television and social media shared videos showing the aftermath of the attacks, including bullet-riddled buildings, bloodstains, and bodies of militants strewn across the streets. Residents recounted tales of grenades being thrown into homes and bullets piercing windows, with video footage showing people stranded in their cars as the fighting unfolded. Previous incidents of violence in the region, including attacks by Jaish al-Adl in response to Iranian actions in Pakistan and by the Islamic State during a memorial in Kerman, have contributed to a sense of panic and anxiety in Iran.
The ongoing attacks by Israel, including airstrikes on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, have further heightened tensions in the region. The plummeting value of Iran’s currency against the dollar reflects the economic impact of the situation. Analyst Shahin Modarres highlighted the strategic challenge posed by Jaish al-Adl’s adeptness and the timing of the attacks, coinciding with heightened pressure on Iran from external threats. The attacks underscore the complex security dynamics in the region, involving multiple actors with conflicting interests.
