Unidentified Gunmen Strike Twice, Killing Six in Iran

Unidentified gunmen killed six people in two separate attacks in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan. Among the victims were a local chief of the Revolutionary Guard and town council head Parviz Kadkhodaei. The province is known for its occasional clashes involving militant groups and strained Sunni-Shiite relations.

Unidentified gunmen killed six people, including a local chief of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, in two separate attacks on Tuesday, state TV reported.

The head of a town council and two volunteer members of the Guard were also among the dead in the first attack. It occurred after the victims participated in a school ceremony in Nikshahar town, approximately 1,350 kilometers southeast of Tehran, the report stated. It identified the town council chief as Parviz Kadkhodaei but provided no other details.

In the second attack, two police officers were killed in Khash town in the same province. No one immediately took responsibility for the attacks.

In September, gunmen killed four border guards in the province in two separate attacks, with militant group Jaish al-Adl claiming responsibility for one of them. The province, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been a site of occasional deadly clashes involving militant groups, drug smugglers, and Iranian security forces. Relations between the predominantly Sunni Muslim residents of the region and Iran's Shiite theocracy have long been strained.

(With inputs from agencies.)