At least five policemen were killed in southeastern Iran on Friday after unidentified gunmen opened fire on two police patrol vehicles in the city of Iranshahr in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan, Iranian news agencies reported. The officers were patrolling in two police cars when they were attacked on the road near the city of Iranshahr, some 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran, according to the official IRNA news agency.
The report did not mention how many policemen were injured in the attack, and no group has taken responsibility for the attack so far.
The province, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been the site of occasional deadly clashes involving militant groups, armed drug smugglers, and Iranian security forces. It is also one of the least developed provinces of Iran.
In July, attackers launched a gun and grenade attack on a court building in the provincial capital, Zahedan, killing six people, including a child, and wounding 20.
Iran’s southeast has witnessed sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for autonomy and greater rights Tehran accuses some of them of having links with foreign powers and alleges their involvement in cross-border smuggling and insurgency.
The ‘terrorists’ attacked two police patrol units in the Damen District of Iranshahr County as the law enforcement forces were on patrol duty, the semi-official Fars news agency quoted the provincial police as saying.
Operations were launched to identify and arrest the assailants, said reports citing officials.