Iran Court Attack: At Least 8 Killed, Over Dozen Injured In Terrorist Assault In Zahedan, Jaish Al-Adl Claims Responsibility

Iran Court Attack: At least eight people were killed and over a dozen were injured in a deadly terrorist attack on a judiciary complex in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province on Friday, according to Iranian state media reports. The Sunni extremist group Jaish al-Adl has claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack occurred in Zahedan, the capital of the volatile province that shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Iranian authorities announced that three of the attackers were killed in an exchange of fire with guards after they burst into the courthouse and threw grenades.

 According to reports from Iran’s Fars News Agency, explosions and sustained gunfire were heard in and around the judiciary building. The attackers reportedly stormed the judges’ chambers, killing judiciary staff and injuring others. Fars also suggested a suicide bomber may have been involved in the coordinated assault. Witnesses quoted by HAALVSH, a Baluch human rights group, confirmed that civilians, including a mother and child, were killed during the attack. In a statement posted on its Telegram channel, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack and warned civilians to evacuate the area for their safety. The Sunni radical group had also been responsible for cross-border raids and insurgency activities in Iran's southeast in the past. Security personnel quickly sealed off the region and initiated a counter-operation, and the three attackers were killed.

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Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, where the country's Sunni Muslim Baluch minority resides, has been a hotbed of violence for decades as Iranian troops clash with militants. The locals blamed the central government for economic abandonment and political isolation. Tehran has consistently blamed groups such as Jaish al-Adl for enjoying external sponsorship and carrying out cross-border insurgent and smuggling operations. Some of the injured were evacuated to nearby hospitals for medical care, Mehr News Agency reported. Security has been tightened in major public buildings and institutions in Zahedan after the attack.