Five militants, Iranian security officer killed in clashes west of Zahedan

Five militants and a member of the Iranian security forces were killed on Tuesday during clashes in the Kourin area, west of Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had freed an engineer working on construction projects after he was kidnapped by an armed group.

The IRGC's Quds Base said its ground forces carried out a "surprise operation" in Kourin after tracking down a group accused of kidnapping the engineer the previous day. The statement said the group had planned to transfer the hostage to a neighboring country. The operation resulted in the deaths of five group members and the release of the engineer, while one IRGC member was also killed.

In a separate account of the clashes, the semi-official Fars news agency, which is close to the IRGC, quoted an Iranian source as saying that fighting began Tuesday morning between security forces and individuals described by authorities as "terrorist groups." The confrontation ended with the deaths of five militants and one Iranian security officer. The source did not disclose the identities of the militants or the group they belonged to, but said security operations would continue to "fully cleanse Sistan and Baluchestan of terrorist elements."

In another security incident, Iranian reports said three militants were killed in an attack on a site described by authorities as belonging to an armed group in the Jah Ahmad area of Kourin. The connection between this operation and the earlier clashes was not independently confirmed.

Sistan and Baluchestan province has for years witnessed activity by armed groups opposed to Tehran and attacks targeting security forces and the IRGC. Earlier in October, authorities reported clashes in various parts of the province, including around Zahedan and other border areas, resulting in deaths among militants and security personnel.

Sistan and Baluchestan, which has a majority Baluch population, is considered one of Iran's most sensitive security regions due to its borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan and the presence of armed groups, most notably Jaish al-Adl, which Tehran accuses of carrying out attacks against its security and military forces.