TEHRAN: An attack, which was later claimed by a Sunni Muslim extremist group, killed a policeman in restive southeastern Iran on Wednesday, state media reported.
Sistan-Baluchistan province, where the attack took place, is one of the few mainly Sunni provinces in Shiite-dominated Iran and has seen persistent unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs and rebels from the Baluchi ethnic minority as well as extremists.
“In an exchange of fire this morning between forces from a police station in Rask and members of an armed group, one of the policemen was killed,” Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.
The news agency said the firefight lasted around three hours before the arrival of police reinforcements prompted the assailants to withdraw.
The attack was claimed by extremist group Jaish Al-Adl (Army of Justice) in a brief statement on its Telegram channel. Jaish Al-Adl was formed in 2012 and is blacklisted by Iran as a “terrorist” group.
It was the second deadly attack on security forces in Rask claimed by the group in recent weeks.
At least 11 officers were killed in a similar attack on a police station in the town before dawn on December 15.
Sistan-Baluchistan province borders Pakistan and Afghanistan and has long been regarded as a key access point for militant groups, drug smugglers and irregular migrants.
Last week, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced new measures to firm up security along the porous border, following twin suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State extremist group that killed more than 90 people at a high-profile state event in the southern city of Kerman.
Vahidi said authorities had identified “priority points to block along the border.”
Attack claimed by extremists kills policeman in southeast Iran
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Attack claimed by extremists kills policeman in southeast Iran
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
