At least five killed in courthouse attack in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan
A mother and child were among those killed on Saturday by gunmen who threw a hand grenade into the building in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan, a senior police official told the state news agency IRNA.
IRNA said three of the attackers were also killed during the assault, citing the regional headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In a statement posted on its Telegram account, Jaish al-Adl (Arabic for Army of Justice), a Baloch armed group based in Pakistan but also active in Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack and urged 'all civilians to immediately evacuate the area of clashes for their safety', Iranian media reported.
According to Alireza Daliri, Sistan-Baluchestan's deputy police commander, the attackers tried to enter the building disguised as visitors.
The Baloch human rights group HAALVSH, quoting witnesses, said several judiciary staff members and security personnel were killed or wounded when the assailants stormed the judges' chambers.
IRNA said emergency personnel were at the scene with the wounded evacuated and transported to medical centres.
Sistan-Baluchestan, located on the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to Iran's Sunni Muslim Baloch minority, who have long said they are economically marginalised and politically excluded.
Some armed groups said they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy. The Iranian government accuses some of them of having ties to foreign governments and being involved in attacks and cross-border smuggling.
Fighting between Iranian security forces and the armed groups is frequent in the province, located about 1,200km (745 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.
The area has been the scene of recurring clashes between Iranian security forces, including the IRGC, and fighters from the Baloch minority and Sunni groups and drug traffickers.
In one of the deadliest incidents, 10 police officers were killed in October in what authorities described as a 'terrorist' attack.
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