Death toll from "terrorist attacks" in SE Iran rises to 15

TEHRAN, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of security personnel killed in Wednesday's attacks in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan has reached 15 after five others succumbed to their wounds, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Saturday.

Among the fatalities, 11 were members of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and four were law enforcement officers, Fars added.

In a statement, the IRGC reported that the attacks, which targetted public venues and military sites in Chabahar and Rask counties late Wednesday night, were carried out by "terrorists and armed bandits" with alleged links to foreign intelligence.

The statement added that 18 "terrorists," identified as members of the Jaish al-Zulm group, were killed during the ensuing clashes with security forces.

On Thursday, Iran's Deputy Interior Minister for Security and Law Enforcement, Majid Mir-Ahmadi, said that initial reports from the country's intelligence organizations suggested the "terrorists" were foreign nationals.

He added that two other non-Iranian individuals, responsible for providing the "terrorists" with backup, had also been arrested.

Jaish al-Zulm, designated as a terrorist entity by Iran, has been involved in many attacks against Iranian security forces and civilians in recent years, including a December 2023 strike on a police headquarters in Rask County that claimed the lives of 11 policemen and wounded seven others.