Two policemen killed in armed attack in Iran

Shafaq News / Two Iranian police officers were killed by armed assailants in the Sistan and Balochestan province, marking the latest episode in a series of attacks against security forces in the southeastern region of the country.

The official news agency, IRNA, reported that the attack occurred in a remote area near the Pakistan border. It stated, "Two members of the internal security forces in the city of Tafatan were martyred as a result of a terrorist attack." The identity of the attackers and the circumstances of the attack have not been immediately clarified.

The province, adjacent to Afghanistan, often experiences disturbances linked to drug trafficking gangs, Baloch minority insurgents, or Sunni militants.

Similar attacks have occurred in the past, including one on July 23rd when four policemen were killed during a patrol. Just two weeks prior, two policemen and four attackers were killed in a shootout in the province, which was claimed by the "Army of Justice" group.

In late May, IRNA reported that Taliban forces fired upon an Iranian police officer stationed in Sistan and Balochestan. Zahedan, the provincial center, witnessed protests in September 2022 following reports of a police officer allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager in the region.