At Least Nine Killed in Militant Attack on Courthouse in South-East Iran

Andy Hall/The Observer

The insurgency is part of a greater insurgency in Balochistan, which includes the Pakistani province

At least nine individuals, including a mother and child, were killed and 22 others injured in an attack on a courthouse in Iran’s south-eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, according to Iranian media reports on Saturday, 26 July 2025. The assault has been attributed to the jihadist separatist group Jaish al-Adl.

The attackers reportedly stormed the courthouse, opening fire on those inside, before launching a second wave using mortars and grenade launchers. The ensuing confrontation with security forces lasted approximately three hours, according to the Baluch human rights organisation Haalvsh.

Iran's state media reported that three assailants were killed in the clashes, and several of the injured remain in critical condition and have been transferred to local hospitals.

Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the assault in a statement on the messaging platform Telegram, urging civilians to evacuate the area “for their safety”. Residents reported hearing multiple explosions and sustained gunfire, while roads leading to the courthouse were closed, Haalvsh said.

Sistan-Baluchestan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been the centre of a prolonged insurgency for over two decades. The region is predominantly inhabited by Iran’s Sunni Baluch minority, who have long alleged systemic discrimination and exclusion by the central government.

According to The Guardian, this local insurgency is part of a wider conflict encompassing the broader Balochistan region, which spans across Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The unrest involves various Islamist militant and separatist groups and has resulted in numerous deadly attacks targeting both civilians and security forces.

Jaish al-Adl is one such Islamist militant group operating in the province. It has been engaged in armed conflict with Iranian security forces since 2014 and has been designated a terrorist organisation by Iranian authorities, who allege that the group receives backing from Pakistan and Israel.

In December 2023, the group carried out an attack on a police station in Sistan-Baluchestan, killing 11 people. A subsequent assault on Iranian border guards in January 2024 prompted retaliatory strikes by Iran on what it claimed were Jaish al-Adl positions inside Pakistan.

The Iranian government has consistently accused the insurgent movement of receiving foreign funding and engaging in cross-border smuggling operations.



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