Brigadier General Hossein Zarifi, commander of the Shahid Sajjad Operational Headquarters in Saravan, has been killed during an operation in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency and the public relations office of the IRGC Ground Forces’ Quds Base.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 23, during an operation against an armed group in the Saravan area, Iranian authorities said.
Five Armed Group Members Reportedly Killed
- According to the Quds Base, Iranian forces conducted an operation in Saravan after identifying what authorities described as an armed group operating in the area.
- Iranian authorities said five members of the group were killed and several others were arrested during the operation. Tasnim separately reported that security forces were conducting an operation to clear a location used by armed elements in the Jahadabad area of Saravan.
IRGC Commander Among Those Killed
- Iranian authorities identified the deceased commander as Brigadier General Hossein Zarifi, who headed the Shahid Sajjad Operational Headquarters in Saravan.
- The Quds Base said Zarifi had served for more than a decade in southern Sistan and Baluchestan, where he was involved in security and military operations in the region.
Conflicting Details About the Operation
- Iranian state linked reporting describes the operation as an action against what it calls terrorist or extremist groups.
- However, details about the identity and affiliation of the armed group have not been independently established. Iran’s authorities have also made claims linking such groups to foreign powers; those claims should be treated as official Iranian allegations rather than independently verified facts.
- Iran International reported that the IRGC affiliated Tasnim confirmed Zarifi’s death during clashes with armed individuals. The outlet also reported an unverified claim from Haalvsh that at least 13 military personnel were seriously wounded.
Security Operations in Sistan and Baluchestan
- The latest incident comes amid continuing Iranian security operations in Sistan and Baluchestan, a province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan that has experienced repeated clashes involving Iranian security forces and armed groups.
- Earlier this month, Iranian authorities reported another operation in Saravan in which four suspected militants and three Iranian intelligence personnel were killed.
Investigation and Security Operations Continue
- Iranian security forces are continuing operations in the region, with authorities saying their focus remains on identifying and confronting armed groups operating in Sistan and Baluchestan.
- Further details about the circumstances surrounding Zarifi’s death, the identities of those killed and arrested, and the casualties among Iranian forces may emerge as Iranian authorities release additional information.
