**Attack on Iranian Police Convoy in Sistan and Baluchestan Leaves 10 Officers Dead**

In Sistan and Baluchestan, a turbulent southern province of Iran, an assault on a police convoy has resulted in the deaths of at least ten officers. This incident, which occurred on Saturday in Gohar Kuh—approximately 1,200 kilometers southeast of Tehran—has left many details unclear.

Initial reports vaguely mentioned an attack by unspecified "miscreants." However, Iranian state media soon confirmed the fatalities. The advocacy group HalVash, which supports the Baluch people across Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, shared photos and videos that appeared to show a damaged truck marked with the green stripe used on Iranian police vehicles. One graphic image depicted the bodies of two police officers in the front seat of the truck.

HalVash stated that the attack seemed to target two security force vehicles, resulting in the deaths of all occupants. The group's posted images suggested that the truck had been subjected to gunfire rather than an explosive device.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported that Iran's interior minister, Eskandar Momeni, had ordered a thorough investigation into the incident, referring to the deceased officers as "martyrs." As of now, no suspects have been identified, nor has any group claimed responsibility for the assault. It coincided with a significant Israeli offensive across Iran earlier that same morning.

For over two decades, the Baluch regions in Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have experienced constant unrest due to a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists. The verification of information in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan remains challenging, as the province has long been a hotspot for violence driven by heroin trafficking. Historically strained relations exist between the predominantly Sunni Muslim residents of the area and the Shiite-led Iranian government.

Typically, attacks in the region involve hit-and-run tactics executed by militants, such as the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, which usually result in the deaths of a few security personnel. However, some attacks have caused significant casualties. In April, a coordinated assault by gunmen with explosive vests on multiple sites resulted in ten deaths and the killing of 18 militants by security forces. Another attack in December led to 11 deaths and eight injuries.

Additionally, the Taliban has stated that it is investigating reports of Afghan migrants being killed by Iranian security forces in this region earlier in October, an incident that has the potential to further strain the relations between the two neighboring countries.