Shock in Iran: Senior Revolutionary Guards commander killed in shootout

A senior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in a shootout with gunmen in the Saravan region of Sistan and Baluchestan province, near the Pakistan border. A joint force of the IRGC, the Intelligence Ministry, and the police raided a cell that was planning an attack, and in the exchange of fire, five gunmen were killed. Only after the initial report did it become clear that among the Iranian dead was Zarifi himself, a senior commander in the area.

A senior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in a shootout with gunmen in the Saravan region of Sistan and Baluchestan province, near the Pakistan border. According to a statement from the Quds Command of the IRGC Ground Force, a joint force of the IRGC, the Intelligence Ministry, and the police raided a location where an armed cell was present. Tehran claimed the cell was planning an attack in the area and was located based on intelligence information. During the exchange of fire, according to the official version, five gunmen were killed and others were arrested. Only after the initial report did it become clear that the IRGC member killed in the battle was Zarifi himself, one of the senior commanders of Iranian forces in the region. The IRGC stated that he served for over a decade in southern Sistan and Baluchestan province. The website "Iran Wire" reported that Ahmad Harati Zaraati, responsible for intelligence at the Sajjad Command, was also killed in the confrontation. The website "Khal-e Vash" reported that at least 13 military and security personnel were seriously wounded, a figure not officially confirmed. The identity of the gunmen is unclear; Iranian media described them as "terrorists" without naming an organization. The battle comes about ten days after another prolonged confrontation in the area. Sistan and Baluchestan province is considered a sensitive security hotspot, suffering from conflicts with armed Baloch groups operating on both sides of the border with Pakistan.