According to state media reports on Monday, at least three police officers were killed in separate assaults by militants and gunmen in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan.
One of the country’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan has a long history of unrest involving drug-trafficking gangs, Baloch minority rebels, and extremists.
The official IRNA news agency reported that “a border guard was killed a few hours ago during a confrontation with gunmen in Hirmand, Sistan-Baluchistan province.”
Additionally, IRNA stated that a separate attack on law enforcement in the same area on Monday resulted in the death of another border guard, with two others sustaining injuries.
The news agency also reported that a member of the police special force was killed in the town of Khash, also in Sistan-Baluchistan.
Pakistan-based militant group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice in Arabic) claimed responsibility for the last two attacks in a message on Telegram.
The group has claimed responsibility for several attacks in recent months, including a Sunday raid that killed a policeman in the same region.
Iran executes two men in public over deadly armed robbery
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities on Monday executed two men in public over the killing of a police officer during an armed robbery in central Iran, according to the judiciary.
“The death sentence of two armed robbers was carried out this morning in the city of Khomein” in the central Markazi province, the judiciary’s Mizan Online reported, citing the local prosecutor.
According to the report, the sentence was carried out in public on Monday morning.
Iran, which performs death sentences by hanging, rarely executes convicts in public.
The two convicts shot dead a police officer almost four years ago while attempting to flee after clashes with law enforcement, Mizan reported.
Iran carries out the highest number of executions annually after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.
The Islamic republic uses capital punishment for major crimes including murder and drug trafficking, as well as rape and sexual assault cases.
Source: Dawn News