An armed attack by the Jaish al-Adl group on a courthouse in Iran’s restive southeastern Sistan killed at least five people and injured 13, Iranian media reported.
Three assailants were also killed in the ensuing clashes with security forces, a senior police official told the state news agency IRNA.
He said a mother and child were among those killed by the gunmen who threw a hand grenade into the building in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan.
In a statement posted on its Telegram account, Jaish al-Adl took responsibility for the attack and urged “all civilians to immediately evacuate the area of clashes for their safety”.
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The human rights group HAALVSH, quoting eyewitnesses, said several judiciary staff members and security personnel were killed or wounded when the assailants stormed the judges’ chambers.
The province frequently sees clashes between security forces and armed groups, including militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy. The Iranian government accuses some of them of ties to foreign powers and involvement in cross-border smuggling and insurgency.