At least one member of the Iranian security forces has lost his life during a series of operations carried out in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan, in the southeast of the country, which have also resulted in the deaths of five alleged terrorists and the arrest of around 20 people. For the moment, it has not been specified which organization the detainees would belong to.
Iran's Ministry of Intelligence indicated in a statement that security forces have managed to dismantle "four operational cells of extremist terrorist groups" thanks to "several powerful operations" carried out in the region, preventing the suspects "from carrying out suicide attacks and assassinations."
The department has detailed that during these actions, an agent died as a result of the self-immolation of one of the suspects, who detonated the explosives he was carrying during one of the raids. In addition, the deployed forces seized various weapons, explosives, and ammunition.
Armed groups such as Ansar al Furqan and Jaish al Adl operate in the unstable province of Sistan and Baluchestan, the latter created in 2012 by former members of another extremist organization active in the area. Part of the Baluchi minority, who predominantly profess Sunni Islam, resides in this region.
The Iranian authorities have repeatedly called on Pakistan—which also combats Baluchi separatist formations in the west of its territory—to strengthen bilateral cooperation against these organizations, as those responsible for several attacks have managed to flee afterwards by crossing the common border.