2024 Chabahar and Rask clashes

2024 Chabahar and Rask clashes
Part of the Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency
Date 4 April 2024 Location Chabahar, Rask and Sarbaz, Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran Result Jaish al-Adl fail to seize IRGC headquarters
Belligerents
Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Islamic Republic of Iran Navy	Jaish ul-Adl
Casualties and losses
11 killed	16–18 killed

In the southeastern border province of Sistan-Baluchestan, a recent attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters happened on the night of 4 April. At least 11 Iranian security force members were killed in this attack. The clashes occurred in the towns of Chabahar, Rask and Sarbaz. The Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni armed group, was involved in the attack and lost 16 members during the clashes. This incident is one of the deadliest attacks carried out by Jaish al-Adl. The region has a predominantly Sunni Muslim population and has witnessed frequent clashes between Iranian security forces and militants. The attack took place at a critical time for Iran, following an Israeli missile strike on its consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed Quds Force Brigadier-General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi.

Background

The area, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, has witnessed frequent clashes between Iranian security forces and militants as well as drug traffickers. Over the past decade, Jaish-ul-Adl has consistently focused its attacks on the Revolutionary Guards in western Balochistan. However, since the “Bloody Friday” incident in Zahedan, these assaults have escalated significantly, resulting in large-scale and lethal strikes against Iranian forces. The attack came after Islamic Republic’s airstrike targeting Jaish al-Adl operatives, including senior commander Ismail Shahbakhsh, within Pakistani territory. Jaish al-Adl has a history of launching attacks on Iranian security forces, with a notable incident in December that claimed the lives of 11 police personnel. The group operates from occupied Balochistan areas under the patronage of the Pakistan Army. The group cites the pursuit of greater rights and improved living conditions for ethnic minority Baluchis in Shi’ite-dominated Iran as their rationale for the attacks. Sistan and Balochistan, one of Iran’s most underdeveloped provinces, houses a discontented local population as a result of government policies.

Islamic Republic in Iran confronts a multitude of challenges: severe international economic sanctions, direct targeting of its interests by Israel in Syria, and ISIS attacks within its borders. Amidst the ongoing turmoil, the insurgency in Sistan and Balochistan seizes the opportunity to apply additional pressure on the struggling government.

Conflict

On the night of 4 April 2024, the Jaish al-Adl militant group carried out an unprecedentedly complex and sophisticated attack targeting Iranian security forces in southeastern Iran. Coordinated and simultaneous assaults struck at least two Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) headquarters, a police station, and a naval facility in Chabahar and Rask within Iran’s Sistan and Balochistan Province. The attacks, which began around midnight and lasted over 13 hours, resulted in the deaths of 11 Iranian security personnel and 18 Jaish al-Adl militants. The gunmen stormed various security and military compounds, wearing suicide vests, but failed to seize the Guards headquarters. This attack occurred amidst heightened tensions, following Iran’s consulate in Damascus being hit by a suspected Israeli missile strike, for which Iran pledged revenge. The IRGC commander stated that the security forces had freed the people taken hostage by the terrorists.

Aftermath

Iran mobilized its forces to deal with Jaish al-Adl’s attacks at multiple locations. The United Nations Security Council issued a statement condemning the attack. The Council expressed sympathy and condolences to the victims’ families and the Government of Iran. It reaffirmed that terrorism poses a serious threat to international peace and security, emphasizing the need to hold perpetrators accountable and bring them to justice. ”The Pakistani government unequivocally denounces the heinous and cowardly assault on security and police headquarters in the towns of Rask and Chabahar,” stated an official government release.