At least five civilians, including a mother and her newborn baby, were killed and 22 others wounded when armed militants stormed the provincial judiciary headquarters in Zahedan, Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, early Saturday morning.
According to Iran’s Judiciary Information Center, unidentified gunmen opened fire at the judicial compound, triggering a gun battle with security forces. Three of the assailants were killed during the ensuing clashes, and emergency response teams were immediately dispatched to the area.
State-affiliated Fars News Agency reported that the attackers entered the building and began firing indiscriminately, causing chaos within the compound. The wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals, while the area was sealed off by Iranian security personnel.
The attack was later claimed by Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni terrorist group long active in the region and designated as a terrorist organisation by Iran.
The group has been involved in previous assaults targeting Iranian military and judicial institutions, particularly in the volatile border province.
The Sistan-Baluchestan province, which borders both Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been a hotspot for insurgent activity, with armed groups citing grievances over alleged discrimination against the Baluch Sunni minority in Shia-majority Iran.
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