Four police officers have been killed in an “incident” in southeast Iran that has been riddled with deadly violence in recent weeks, state media reported on Sunday.
“The incident that took place at the traffic police station on the Iranshahr-Bampour axis caused the martyrdom of four Bampour police officers,” local police chief Major Alireza Sayyad told Irna news agency.
Located in Sistan-Baluchistan province, one of the poorest in Iran, this city has been hit by a fresh wave of violence in recent weeks, leaving dozens dead, including members of the security forces.
The violence came as protests have gripped the country since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, three days after her arrest by vice squads.
“An investigation is underway in this case,” Mr Sayyad said without further detail.
According to the authorities, six members of the security forces are among dozens of people killed in deadly violence that erupted on September 30 in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Balochistan.
Local figures had spoken of tensions caused by reports of a young girl being “raped” by a provincial police officer and accused the security forces of “shooting” at people who had gathered near the Zahedan mosque .
After completing an investigation conducted at the request of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the authorities fired two top security officials in the region, including the Zahedan police chief.
The province is populated by the Baloch minority, who mainly adhere to Sunni Islam and not to the Shi’ism that is prevalent in Iran.