3 Iranian security force members killed in deadly clashes with gunmen in restive province

TEHRAN, Iran — Three members of Iran’s security forces were killed in clashes with gunmen today, state media reports, in a region plagued by violence involving armed groups, jihadists and traffickers.

State television says four of the gunmen were also killed during the operation against what it called “terrorists” in Iran’s southeast.

“During a joint operation by the Revolutionary Guards, the General Intelligence Directorate and the police, four terrorists were killed,” it reports, citing a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The statement, which does not specify if the gunmen were affiliated with any organization, says they were planning a “terrorist operation” in the city of Saravan, which lies more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the capital Tehran.

Iranian forces also seized “weapons, ammunition and explosives,” the statement adds.

The operation took place in Sistan-Baluchistan province, one of Iran’s poorest regions, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Security forces regularly clash with armed groups, jihadists and traffickers in the area.

Heavy fighting between Iranian security forces and unidentified gunmen spread through residential areas of Saravan in southeastern Iran on Saturday, continuing for nearly seven hours, according to the rights group Haalvsh.

The group reported attacks on at least three security… pic.twitter.com/DN9lFEfiwv

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) September 12, 2026