Six Iranian border guards were killed on Sunday in a clash with an armed group in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, according to local media reports. The attack took place in Saravan, near the border with Pakistan, and was carried out by a terrorist group seeking to infiltrate the country. The group fled across the border after the clash. The poverty-stricken province is a flashpoint for clashes with drug smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baluchi minority, and Sunni Muslim extremist groups.
Sistan-Baluchistan also borders Afghanistan and has seen some of the deadliest attacks in recent months. On March 11, two policemen were shot dead during clashes with criminals in the same region. The attack on Sunday was one of the deadliest in the province in recent months.