More attacks in Baluchistan regions of Iran, Pakistan following border dustup
Iran and Pakistan reconciled after their border conflict earlier this year, but clashes involving Baluchi separatists and unidentified armed groups remain an issue.
Iranian authorities reported that two people were killed in a shooting in the Sistan and Baluchistan province on Monday, the same day Baluchi separatists attacked a Pakistani naval base, as unrest continues in the troubled border region.
Iranian police clashed with unspecified “terrorists” in the city of Khash, south of the provincial capital Zahedan, on Monday night. One Iranian police officer was killed by gunfire, as was a child in a vehicle that was near the police at the time of the shooting, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Tuesday.
In neighboring Pakistan, militants attacked the Turbat naval base in the Balochistan province on Monday, killing one paramilitary soldier. The Pakistan Navy said they killed all five of the attackers. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed credit for the assault, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The historical region of Baluchistan lies in present day southeast Iran, southwest Pakistan and southern Afghanistan. It is home to the eponymous Baluchi minority group. Unlike the Shiite majority in Iran, Baluchi people are predominantly Sunni Muslims.
