6 border guards killed by ‘terrorists’ in Iran

TEHRAN: Six Iranian border guards were killed in armed clashes with members of a "terrorist" group in Saravan County in southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

According to Tasnim, five border guards were killed by the "terrorists" at the scene, and another succumbed to his wounds at the hospital later on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report identified the six fatalities as Hossein Badamaki, Ali Ghani Batadbir, Reza Borji, Mohammad Jamalzadeh, Younes Seifinejad, and Nasser Heidari.

The armed clashes occurred after the Iranian border guards detected the "terrorist" team's members, who sought to enter the country through the southeastern border, the report said, adding that their entry attempts were eventually foiled.

It said the "terrorists" escaped the scene after being outpowered by Iranian forces.

The "terrorists" were identified as members of the "Jaish al-Zulm" group, a separatist group that Iran says is linked with al-Qaeda, Iranian Students' News Agency reported, citing Sistan and Baluchistan prosecutor Mehdi Shamsabadi.

Shamsabadi added the "terrorists" launched the armed attack on the border police station in a bid to cross the border and enter the country, saying necessary judicial orders have been issued to arrest them.