Iran was hit by a devastating terrorist attack hit in the judiciary center in Zahedan, the capital of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province in the southeast. At least eight people died, including five civilians and three attackers, while 13 more were hurt. Iranian security forces stopped the attack after gunmen stormed the courthouse complex, targeting judges’ chambers and security officers.
Reports from Iranian state media and the judiciary’s official news site, Mizan Online, said that the attackers started the attack by hurling grenades inside the building and firing at random people, which led to pandemonium and deaths. A mother and her one-year-old child were among the dead. The semi-official Fars News Agency said that a suicide bomber might have been involved in the attack, which happened near the courtroom and involved explosions and gunfire. Human rights group HAALVSH said that eyewitnesses claimed that many judges and security guards were murdered or hurt in the devastating incident.
Jaish al-Adl take the credit
Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group that works in the troubled border area between Iran and Pakistan and is considered a terrorist outfit by Tehran, took credit for the attack. The group fights for the rights of Sunni Baluch minorities in mostly Shia Iran. They have attacked Iranian government and security institutions in the past. Iranian officials say that Jaish al-Adl is connected to foreign powers, smuggling, and terrorism across borders.
Zahedan and the rest of the Sistan-Baluchestan province have been unstable for a long time because of ethnic, religious, and political issues involving the economically disadvantaged Sunni Baluch people. The fact that the area is close to the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan makes it easier for insurgents to move around and makes security in the region more difficult.
Quick Response, attackers neutralised
The attack was quickly met with a response from security personnel, who killed all three extremists and secured the area. Authorities are still looking into the matter and are asking people to stay away from the area around the court center while forensic and security work is going on.
Iranian officials called the event a terrible attempt to undermine national security and made it clear that they were against terrorism. This attack shows that security problems are still a problem in southeastern Iran and that stability is still very fragile in border areas where militant organizations still threaten residents and government facilities.
The attack on the Zahedan judiciary reminds us of how complicated Iran’s security situation is, with both domestic problems and cross-border violence hurting it.
