Minutes after voting concluded in Iran’s presidential elections at midnight Friday, unidentified assailants attacked a vehicle transporting election boxes in Sistan-Baluchistan Province on June 29.
The assault allegedly resulted in the deaths of two security force members, and injuries to several others, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA. Additionally, one of the assailants was also reportedly killed.
Early Saturday conflicting reports emerged from IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News agency, initially identifying the two deceased as ballot security officers but later describing them as border guards.
Quoting Iranian border police commander Brigadier General Ahmad Ali Goudarzi, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News agency reported that one of the assailants was killed during an “armed conflict between the border guards and a terrorist group in the Jakigor border region, located in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.” Goudarzi further added that two others were injured and fled the scene of the conflict.
Iranian media identified the two killed Farhad Jalili and Ebrahim Marmazi.
Reacting to the news, Iranian Presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian referred to the two victims as members of Iran’s “police forces”.
“The news of the oppressed martyrdom of the zealous police forces of Rask city by the criminals, who were attacked in a cowardly way while protecting the people's votes, caused a lot of emotion and pain,” Pezeshkian wrote on X Saturday.
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif responded to the incident, commending the two as "zealous men of the police force" and "martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Iran and protecting democracy."
“They did not allow the theft of the votes of the brave people of Sistan and Baluchistan and in this way, they reached a high level of martyrdom,” Zarif stated.
