Iran says three guards killed securing border amid rising militant attacks

Three members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Ground Force were killed on December 10 “during a mission to secure the country’s borders” in a southeastern area near Zahedan.

According to the reports, the personnel belonged to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Base unit and died during what authorities described as an encounter with armed militant groups near the border in Sistan–Baluchestan province, Sepah News reports.

State media said that pursuit operations were ongoing but noted that only limited information had been released so far.

Iran’s southeast, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been an epicentre of unrest and armed violence. The predominantly Sunni Baluch region has witnessed repeated attacks on security forces, judicial institutions, and government facilities by militant groups.

The latest incident comes in the wake of a deadly attack earlier this year on a courthouse in Zahedan, in which nine people — including three assailants — were killed, according to state media. Militants reportedly opened fire inside the building before targeting civilians outside.

Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni Baluch militant organisation, later claimed responsibility for the courthouse assault. The group has carried out multiple attacks on Iranian security forces in the past and is designated a terrorist organisation by both Iran and the United States.

By Vafa Guliyeva