Deadly Clash Between Armed Individuals and Islamic Republic Forces in Rask

Human rights organization Halosh and the Baloch Activists Campaign reported on Friday, November 9, that at least five people were killed and three others injured due to clashes between armed individuals and the military forces of the Islamic Republic in Firoozabad Rask in Sistan and Baluchestan province. According to the Baloch Activists Campaign, the clashes began when 'armed individuals' attacked a convoy carrying equipment for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the 'Martyrs of Security' exercise in Firoozabad Rask, and subsequently, 'military forces opened fire on ordinary citizens.' As of the time of this report, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the military forces of the Islamic Republic. The Baloch Activists Campaign added that during the clashes, a citizen from Firoozabad named Abdollah Izadshenas, along with his wife and two children, were targeted by the military forces of the Islamic Republic and were transferred to the hospital. Halosh and the Baloch Activists Campaign have published multiple reports of military helicopters flying over Rask. Reports indicate that a member of the IRGC named Mohammad Reza Rostamian from the 33rd Special Forces Brigade of Al-Mahdi in Jahrom was also killed in these clashes. Hamid Shafai, the spokesperson for this IRGC exercise, claimed in an interview with Tasnim News Agency that the clash occurred with 'terrorists' and that four of them were killed in these confrontations. He further claimed that 'a vehicle and a significant amount of weapons and ammunition were discovered and seized.' Meanwhile, in recent days, Iranian state media reported that a commander of the IRGC from Golestan province was killed in an incident in the southeastern border region of 'Sirkon' in Sistan and Baluchestan. According to this report, Hamid Mazandarani, introduced by media as the 'commander of the Ninawa Brigade of Golestan province,' was killed during an 'incident' involving a 'light aircraft of the gyroplane type' of the IRGC 'while conducting combat operations' in the Sirkon border area. Hamed Jandqi, another member of the IRGC, who was the pilot of this aircraft, was also killed alongside Mazandarani. In recent days, following the deaths of several police officers in an armed attack by the militia group 'Jaish al-Adl,' the IRGC, along with other military forces of the Islamic Republic, conducted an exercise named 'Martyrs of Security' in the Saravan region.