NNA - Four traffic police officers were killed in a "terrorist attack" in the Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran, as reported by state media on Sunday.

According to the official news agency "IRNA," "Four traffic police officers were martyred today (Sunday) as a result of a terrorist attack on a patrol of traffic police on the Kash-Tafatan axis in Sistan and Baluchestan province."

Earlier, the agency had mentioned the death of three officers, but the fourth officer succumbed to his injuries later.

The province, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, is one of the poorest regions in Iran and often witnesses attacks on security forces and security incidents attributed to armed militants belonging to extremist organizations, rebels from the Baloch minority, or networks involved in drug and fuel smuggling.

On July 8th, a police officer was killed in an attack on a police station in the city of Zahedan, the provincial capital. The attack involved a shootout that resulted in the killing of four assailants, according to state media.

The extremist Sunni group "Jaish al-Adl," classified by Tehran as a "terrorist" organization, claimed responsibility for the attack in the province, accusing them of launching their attacks from neighboring Pakistan.

In recent months, Zahedan has witnessed tensions due to protests that erupted across the country since September following the death of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by the morality police for not complying with dress code rules. --- AFP