Sunni militants attacked two police vehicles in southeastern Iran today, killing at least five police officers and wounding one, Reuters reported, citing Iranian state television.
The group "Jaish al-Adl" claimed responsibility for the attack in Sistan and Baluchistan province, days after the same group attacked two Iranian Revolutionary Guard headquarters in the same region, killing 11 security personnel.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said the officers were returning home after escorting a suspect in the killing of a policeman shot dead last month during an anti-drug operation.
"Jaish al-Adl" is fighting for more rights and better living conditions for the Baloch ethnic minority in Shiite-dominated Iran, according to Reuters. In recent years, the group has claimed responsibility for several attacks against Iranian security forces in Sistan and Baluchistan.
The region, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, has long been the scene of clashes between Iranian security forces and Sunni militants, as well as drug traffickers. Iran is a key transit route for drug trafficking from Afghanistan to the West and other destinations.