At Least Five Killed in Courthouse Attack in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan Province

Zahedan, Iran – At least five civilians, including a mother and her one-year-old child, were killed, and 13 others injured in a coordinated gun and grenade attack on a courthouse in Zahedan, the capital of Iran’s restive Sistan-Baluchestan province, on Saturday, July 26, 2025. The assault, which targeted the judicial complex on Azadi Street, was claimed by Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), a Sunni Baloch militant group operating in Iran and based in Pakistan.

According to Alireza Daliri, Sistan-Baluchestan’s deputy police commander, the attackers, disguised as visitors, threw a hand grenade into the courthouse and opened fire, storming the judges’ chambers. The Baloch human rights group HAALVSH, citing eyewitnesses, reported that several judiciary staff members and security personnel were among the casualties. Three of the assailants were killed during clashes with security forces, as confirmed by the regional headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA.

Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack via a Telegram statement, urging civilians to evacuate the area for their safety. The group, which seeks greater autonomy for Iran’s Sunni Baloch minority, has a history of targeting Iranian security and state infrastructure, including attacks on military personnel and police stations in the region. Sistan-Baluchestan, located 1,200 km (745 miles) southeast of Tehran and bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to Iran’s Sunni Baloch minority, who have long cited economic marginalization and political exclusion. The province is a frequent flashpoint for violence, with recurring clashes between Iranian security forces, including the IRGC, and armed groups like Jaish al-Adl, as well as drug traffickers. The Iranian government accuses some of these groups of having ties to foreign powers and engaging in cross-border smuggling and insurgency.

Emergency services responded swiftly, evacuating the wounded to medical centers. Iranian state media, including the judiciary’s Mizan Online, described the attack as a “terrorist” act, noting that the casualty toll remains preliminary and could rise. The area around the courthouse has been placed under tight security, with restricted access reported

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