Security forces carrying out a raid on a house in Iran's restive southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan became embroiled in an ongoing gunbattle involving rocket-propelled grenades on Tuesday.
Outlets affiliated with the Islamic Republic’s security forces published videos of the attack in the town of Chabahar, saying the forces were targeting individuals linked to Jaish al-Adl, a militant group that has previously carried out attacks in the region.
Videos published on Tuesday show government forces firing RPG rounds at the house as clashes continued.
According to reports from Halvash, a local news website, people inside the house returned fire, leading to an armed standoff.
Surveillance and combat drones were also seen in the area, as security forces in nearby buildings deployed heavy weapons in a bid to end the confrontation.
The site remained surrounded at around noon Eastern Standard Time, and the nature the gunmen and any casualties remained unclear.
Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni Islamist militant organization hailing from the Baloch ethnic minority, has not officially commented on the incident.
The raid follows a series of incidents in Chabahar. On February 22, a bomb blast destroyed the headquarters for the coordination of eastern Chabahar villages.
Around the same time, an armed attack on the Housing Foundation building in the province left one employee injured.
Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying hey were in retaliation for government policies to displace local Baloch communities.
The group has been designated a terrorist organization by both the Islamic Republic and the United States. The group has carried out several attacks on Iranian military and IRGC positions in recent years.
