Governorate of Sistan and Baluchestan: Leader of 'Ansar al-Furqan' Killed

The security deputy of the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan announced that Jalil Qanbarzahi, the commander of the group 'Ansar al-Furqan', was killed in recent attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the heights of Qasr Qand in the south of the province. According to the IRNA news agency, Ali Asghar Mir Shakari stated on Tuesday, June 29, that the body of this individual and four of his forces are in the possession of the IRGC's ground forces. Based on reports from Islamic Republic officials, during a clash between the police and the Ministry of Intelligence with the forces of the 'Ansar al-Furqan' group on Wednesday, June 25, five individuals were arrested and two were killed. Subsequently, the public relations of the IRGC announced an attack on the forces of the 'Ansar al-Furqan' group in the heights of Qasr Qand in Sistan and Baluchestan. In the IRGC's public relations statement, there was no mention of the number of casualties on either side involved in the conflict. However, the Al Arabiya website quoted Makawi Kalash, a field commander of 'Ansar al-Furqan', stating that in the clashes on Wednesday, June 25, three members of this group who were preparing for an operation were killed, and no one was arrested. This commander of the 'Ansar al-Furqan' group also stated that in the IRGC's attack on the heights of Qasr Qand, none of the group's forces were killed. The statements of the political deputy of the Sistan and Baluchestan governorate regarding the killing of the commander of the 'Ansar al-Furqan' group come at a time when the Ministry of Intelligence reported the killing of the then-commander of this group in 2015. The ministry announced that 'Hesham Aziz, known as Abu Hafs al-Baluchi, the military-political commander' of the 'Ansar al-Furqan' group and two of his companions were killed in an operation by the ministry's agents on the second of Ordibehesht 2015. The state-run IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday that the 'Ansar al-Furqan' group was formed in 1996. However, the Mashregh News website previously reported that the 'Ansar al-Furqan' group was formed from the union of two groups, 'Ansar Iran' and 'Furqan'. The 'Ansar Iran' group is a splinter faction of the 'Jundallah' group after the execution of Abdul Malik Rigi, the leader of that group. The 'Ansar al-Furqan' group announced in 2014 that it attacked an IRGC cargo train, but Islamic Republic officials denied this claim. In recent years, this group has also claimed responsibility for attacks on several Iranian border guards. Islamic Republic officials have also accused this group of carrying out an explosion during the Ashura ceremony in Chabahar in 2010, which resulted in at least 38 deaths and dozens of injuries.