Two members of IRGC's Basij killed in Iran’s restive southeast
Two members of the IRGC's Basij paramilitary forces were assassinated on Saturday in Iran's restive Sistan-Baluchestan province, the Quds Base of the IRGC Ground Forces announced.
Two members of the IRGC's Basij paramilitary forces were assassinated on Saturday in Iran's restive Sistan-Baluchestan province, the Quds Base of the IRGC Ground Forces announced.
According to the statement, "Hojatoleslam Sadegh Mahmoudi and Milad Damankesh were targeted by terrorists while traveling home from work in a private vehicle and were martyred in the attack." The two were part of the Shahid Sajjad Security Plan.
Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl in a statement on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack.
Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province has long been a flashpoint for violence, frequently targeted by Jaish al-Adl, which is known for ambushes, bombings, and armed attacks that have claimed the lives of both civilians and security forces.
The incident follows a surge in violence in the province. In February, the group took responsibility for a bombing in Chabahar that destroyed a government coordination office, as well as an armed assault on a Housing Foundation building.
Jaish al-Adl said those attacks were in retaliation for policies displacing local Baluch communities. The Baluch are one of the poorest ethnic groups in Iran, suffering from lack of decent public services and infrastructure.
Both Iran and the United States have designated Jaish al-Adl as a terrorist organization. The group has carried out multiple attacks on Iranian military and IRGC positions in recent years.
In November, four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in clashes during a military drill in Rask County. In October, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for an attack that killed ten Iranian military personnel.
