TEHRAN – Iranian security forces successfully repelled a terrorist assault in the southeastern city of Saravan early Sunday morning, killing three armed assailants and capturing four others in a counterterror operation.

According to a statement released by the Sistan and Baluchestan Police Information Center, the attack occurred during routine patrols by law enforcement units in Saravan. The patrol was ambushed by armed militants in what the statement described as a “cowardly and premeditated” assault.

In the ensuing clash, police units responded decisively, neutralizing three attackers and pursuing the remaining elements.

Brigadier General Mohammadreza Eshaqi, commander of the provincial police force, confirmed the details of the operation.

“Following the armed confrontation in Saravan, security plans were immediately activated. Our forces eliminated three terrorists and confiscated a Kalashnikov rifle, a handgun with ammunition, and two vehicles used by the assailants,” he said. Eshaqi also noted that four suspects were captured during follow-up operations.

Tragically, one officer—identified as Khodadad Baqeri—was martyred in the line of duty. Another was injured and transferred to a medical facility for treatment.

The attackers are believed to be affiliated with Jaish al-Adl (known in Iran as Jaish-al-Zulm), a terrorist group notorious for its violent operations in Iran’s southeastern border regions.

As the successor to Jundullah—dismantled by Iranian security forces in 2010—Jaish al-Adl has been linked to numerous armed assaults across the region.

Operating primarily in Sistan and Baluchestan province, the organization has targeted both civilians and security personnel in dozens of deadly attacks. Over the past two decades, first as Jundullah and later under its rebranded identity, the group has claimed hundreds of Iranian lives.

Most recently, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the July 26 mortar and grenade assault on Zahedan’s courthouse, which killed six civilians—including a mother and her infant—and injured 22 others.

Iranian officials have said that the group receives backing from foreign intelligence agencies, with particular emphasis on the Israeli regime’s involvement in supporting its destabilizing activities.

The province of Sistan and Baluchestan remains a strategic and fragile region within Iran’s national security landscape.

Its proximity to international drug trafficking routes and its exposure to terrorist infiltration make it a focal point for Tehran’s counterterrorism efforts.

Despite these challenges, Iranian security forces have demonstrated resilience and tactical superiority, thwarting the majority of cross-border incursions and maintaining relative stability.