Gunmen killed two security personnel and wounded three others on Thursday in three coordinated armed attacks on military transport, police patrols, and a headquarters across Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran.
Security forces in southeastern Iran faced three separate armed assaults on Thursday, October 8, 2026, targeting military and law enforcement infrastructure across Sistan and Baluchestan province. The violence, which unfolded across Nikshahr, Zahedan, and Jalq, left two security personnel dead and at least three others wounded.
Gunmen Attack Military Bus in Nikshahr
The first major attack struck a small bus transporting personnel from the 88th Armored Division of the Iranian Ground Forces.
According to state reports, the vehicle was carrying personnel stationed along the Makran coast as they traveled to change shift duties when gunmen opened fire in the area of Kerindook village, situated roughly 45 kilometers along the Nikshahr-Chabahar road.
Military officials have not yet identified the perpetrators behind the Nikshahr ambush. The public relations office of the 88th Armored Division of the Iranian Ground Forces issued a statement on October 8 detailing the assault on the vehicle carrying its personnel. The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting news agency noted that the troops were based on the Makran coast when they were targeted during their rotation. The Iranian Ground Forces subsequently announced that one person was killed and three others were wounded in the terrorist assault.
Attackers Ambush Police Patrol on Lakkhshk Road in Zahedan
In a separate operation on Thursday, a patrol vehicle belonging to the special operations unit of the police command was targeted by armed assailants in the Nasratabad district of Zahedan. The vehicle was operating on the Lakkhshk road when attackers opened fire on the officers during a security mission.
Provincial police confirmed that Third Lieutenant Vahid Enayat was killed in the exchange of fire. Authorities reported that security forces returned fire, wounding an unspecified number of the attackers before they fled the scene. Local law enforcement units launched follow-up sweep operations to track down the fleeing suspects.
Explosives and Gunfire Strike Jalq Police Headquarters
The violence began the previous evening when armed individuals launched a complex assault on the police headquarters in Jalq, located within the Saravan border county’s Golshan district. Local video footage documented heavy gunfire and an explosion near the entrance of the security compound.
According to police statements, the attack began when an improvised explosive device detonated just as two police patrols were exiting the compound. Gunmen using light and medium weapons then engaged security personnel in running firefights. Provincial authorities stated that one of the attackers was killed during the ensuing clashes, while several others were wounded. The People’s Fighters Front later claimed responsibility for the Wednesday evening attack in a statement issued on Thursday, October 8, stating that its members utilized mines and rocket-propelled grenades during the raid on the headquarters commander’s vehicle and the facility’s interior.
Insurgency Persists in Sistan and Baluchestan
The simultaneous strikes hit Sistan and Baluchestan, an economically underdeveloped province bordering Pakistan characterized by rugged terrain and porous borders. The region previously recorded an October 1 roadside bombing in Rask that killed a police officer and late September clashes that left multiple security personnel dead.
Regional security forces continue active operations across the province to locate the perpetrators.
