A terrorist group attacked the judiciary building early Saturday in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan, killing at least five civilians, including a mother and her one-year-old child. The attack injured more than 13 people, and some reports indicate the number of injured may have reached 22.
According to Iranian state sources, three armed militants entered the courthouse disguised as visitors. They opened fire and threw a grenade inside the building. All three attackers were killed on site by Iranian security forces during a rapid response operation.
The Sunni separatist group Jaish al-Adl took credit of the attack. The group has already made several attacks on the Sistan and Baluchestan province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, and has always been a sensitive region via sectarian as well as cross-border militancy.
Security forces evacuated the scene and initiated an investigation procedure concerning the attack, which remains one of the most significant in the region over the last few months.
The attack is part of a history of violence in Zahedan such as the 2019 Khash -Zahedan suicide bombing which claimed the lives of 27 IRGC presence which is also affiliated to Jaish al-Adl. The area still struggles with the issues related to militant activity, ethnic problems, and disadvantage.
Iranian authorities have vowed a continued crackdown on militant networks and increased surveillance across high-risk areas, including border zones.
