At least four armed attacks targeted Iranian military and police personnel in southeastern Iran on October 7 and 8, leaving several dead and wounded. Three of the incidents occurred in Sistan and Baluchestan province, while a fourth involved the killing of a police officer in neighboring Kerman province. Iranian authorities have confirmed several casualties, but local reports suggest the toll may be higher.
The attacks took place in Nikshahr, Nosratabad, Jalq and Faryab over approximately 24 hours, marking another round of violence in the region. Iran Unfiltered has documented the recent escalation in armed confrontations in the southeast of Iran.
In Nikshahr, gunmen attacked a vehicle carrying personnel from the Iranian army’s 88th Armored Division on October 8. According to an army statement carried by Iranian media, the personnel were traveling between Nikshahr and Konarak in the Makran coastal region for a shift change. The army confirmed that Mohammadreza Okati was killed and three other personnel were wounded in the attack.
Haalvsh, a local outlet covering Sistan and Baluchestan, reported that the attack occurred near Kerin-Dok and involved two military vehicles. It identified five wounded personnel, including Ali Najafi, Mohammadreza Hosseini and Mojtaba Mir. The outlet also reported that additional casualties were transported by helicopter to medical facilities in Chabahar, Konarak and Iranshahr. Those additional casualties have not been independently confirmed.
A separate attack targeted a police patrol vehicle on the Lakhshak road near Nosratabad, in Zahedan County. The provincial police command confirmed that Third Lieutenant Vahid Enayat was killed when gunmen opened fire on the patrol. Police said officers returned fire, wounding several attackers who subsequently escaped. Authorities announced that efforts to identify and arrest those responsible were continuing.
Haalvsh reported a higher casualty toll, saying at least three security personnel had been killed and two wounded. It identified another reported fatality as Abbas Aghaei, originally from Qom. The additional deaths and injuries have not been independently verified.
The attacks followed an assault on the police headquarters in Jalq, the administrative center of Golshan County, on October 7. The People’s Fighters Front claimed responsibility for the Jalq attack, saying its members used explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and firearms against the facility. The organization claimed that six police personnel had been hit during the operation.
Iranian police acknowledged the attack and reported an explosion followed by gunfire near the headquarters. Authorities also said one attacker had been killed and others wounded. The number of police casualties remains unclear.
Haalvsh published accounts and footage described as showing the initial exchanges of gunfire and an attack on a police support vehicle. The footage has not been independently authenticated, and the armed group’s casualty claims remain unverified. The People’s Fighters Front also claimed responsibility for the attacks in Nikshahr and Nosratabad, according to Haalvsh.
In a fourth incident, Mehdi Jamshidi, a police official in Faryab County, Kerman province, was shot dead on October 8. Iranian media confirmed his death following an attack by unidentified gunmen. Haalvsh reported that Jamshidi was traveling in a private vehicle when he was shot seven times. The outlet also cited reports connecting him to a previous police operation involving protesting residents in Pashmuki village in June. Those allegations have not been independently established. No armed organization had publicly claimed responsibility for Jamshidi’s killing in the reporting reviewed.
Haalvsh estimated that more than 12 military and police personnel were killed or wounded across the four incidents, while official statements confirmed a smaller number of casualties and did not provide comprehensive figures for every attack. The differences are particularly pronounced in Nikshahr and Nosratabad, where local accounts describe additional casualties beyond those acknowledged by the army and police.
The latest attacks coincide with new data documenting a substantial increase in armed violence in Sistan and Baluchestan. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data organization (ACLED), approximately 70 armed confrontations between insurgent groups and Iranian security forces have been recorded in the province since the beginning of 2026, exceeding the annual total for any of the previous ten years.
In an assessment published October 8, ACLED said 13 confrontations had occurred in the preceding two weeks alone. The organization noted that recent incidents have included targeted killings, roadside ambushes and attacks on patrols, checkpoints and fixed security installations. The figures cover Sistan and Baluchestan province and do not include the killing in Faryab, which is located in Kerman.
The People’s Fighters Front, formed in late 2025, has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks. Its involvement in the latest incidents follows earlier confrontations documented by Iran Unfiltered, although responsibility for all armed violence in the region has not been established. The October 7–8 attacks add to a growing record of armed confrontations across southeastern Iran, with confirmed fatalities among army and police personnel and unresolved questions about the full number of casualties.