Armed Groups Kill Two IRGC Men In Southeastern Iran
Two members of the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard have been killed in clashes with armed groups in the country's restive southeastern region, the military has said.
The Qods (Quds) Base of IRGC ground force said on Sunday that the two were killed on December 25 in Iran’s province of Sistan-and-Baluchestanon, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, without any further details about the clashes that led to the deaths.
The Qods Base in question is not related to the Qods extraterritorial force of the IRGC. It has the largest area of command in Iran, covering two big provinces.
In recent years, Sistan-Baluchestan has been the scene of frequent clashes between Iranian security forces and drug smugglers and Sunni Baluch militant groups, which are designated as terrorist organizations by the Islamic Republic.
In February, a series of protests broke out in the province after over 20 Baluch fuel traders were killed by the IRGC at the Iran-Pakistan border.
Earlier in December, clashes erupted between Iranian soldiers and Taliban forces near the Afghanistan-Iran border, but was later described as a “misunderstanding”.
Iran accuses the United States and its regional allies of providing support for armed groups that are active in the region.
