Tehran: At least ten Iranian police officers were killed in a “terrorist attack” on patrol vehicles in Sistan-Baluchistan, a region in southeastern Iran that has struggled with unrest, according to Iranian media. The ambush took place in Taftan county, located roughly 1,200 kilometers southeast of Tehran, but details about how the attack was carried out remain unclear, and no group has yet claimed responsibility.

The province of Sistan-Baluchistan, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, is one of Iran’s poorest regions and is home to the Baluch ethnic minority, predominantly Sunni Muslims, in contrast to Iran's Shiite majority. This area has a history of clashes involving Iranian security forces, Baluch separatists, radical Sunni factions, and drug traffickers, who have taken advantage of the volatile borderland. The latest assault follows several deadly incidents in the region earlier in October, where at least six people, including police officers, were killed in two separate attacks.

Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni jihadist group formed by Baluch separatists in 2012, has previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the area. Designated a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States, Jaish al-Adl operates primarily from bases in Pakistan. Earlier this year, Iran reportedly conducted a cross-border strike targeting the group’s headquarters within Pakistan, signaling the rising tension between the two countries over cross-border militant activity.

The region's instability, compounded by Iran and Pakistan’s mutual accusations of harboring armed separatists, remains a significant security concern. Jaish al-Adl continues to promote “armed jihad” against the Iranian state, intensifying the challenges for regional stability amidst a backdrop of socio-economic marginalization and sectarian division.