Two members of the Islamic Republic’s Basij militia have been killed in the southern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Iranian media report.
IRNA confirmed the report that the two victims were “active members of the Sistan-Baluchistan Basij” and were killed “defending the security of the people of the region.”
Sistan-Baluchistan has witnessed several violent incidents in recent years. The militant group Jundallah, which purports to fight for the rights of minority Baluchis and Sunnis in Iran, has claimed reponsibility for a number of bomb explosions in the region.
The Islamic Republic considers Junallah a terrorist organization. In 2009, authorities arrested Junallah leader Abdolmalek Rigi. He was convicted of security charges and executed in June of 2010.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration has announced that the security of its eastern and northwestern borders is one of its top priorities, and the security budget for the region has been increased to 17 times its previous size.
