Six Killed in Border Clash in Mirjaveh

Iranian news agencies have reported the deaths of two border guards and “two local Basij members” during a clash at the Mirjaveh border. According to reports, two attackers were also killed.

Sergeant Major Abolhassan Ziaii, a deputy commander of border guards in Sistan and Baluchestan, told IRNA, Iran’s official state news agency, that “border guards clashed with a terrorist group at the Mirjaveh border zero point between 1 and 3 a.m. today (April 18th)”.

According to Sergeant Major Ziaii, two border guard personnel, one officer and one conscript soldier, lost their lives during the clash.

Mehr news agency reported that the clash involved “outlaws” and according to local sources, in addition to border guards, “two local Basij members from the region were also killed”.

Tasnim news agency also confirmed the death of at least four people and said three others were wounded. The agency added that “two outlaws” were killed.

Tasnim said the clash took place in the Rigmelk border section of Mirjaveh county, between Chahlaskar checkpoint.

None of Iran’s official authorities or state news agencies have named the group involved in the clash.

In May 2017, at least 9 Iranian border guards died in a clash with the “Jaish al-Adl” group at the Mirjaveh border. According to reports, at least three of those killed in the May clash were officers and the rest were conscript soldiers.

Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran has in recent years been the site of confrontations between the Islamic Republic’s military and security forces and armed groups, which Iranian authorities call “terrorists” and “outlaws”. However, armed groups opposed to the Islamic Republic in Sistan and Baluchestan call themselves “defenders of Sunni rights”.

Iran’s military and security officials have at times criticized Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of “negligence” in securing shared borders.

Source: Radio Farda