The killing of Iranshahr’s police chief, Mahmoud Haqiqat, in Iran’s Sistan- Balochistan province has sparked renewed debate over regional security. Iranian investigators saying the attack was carried out by an Afghan national linked to the militant group Jaish al-Adl.
According to Iranian security sources, the attacker was a trained member of Jaish al-Adl, a group that now also operates under the name “People’s Fighters Front” and has a long history of carrying out armed attacks against Iran.
Officials and security analysts say the group maintains its bases on Afghan soil and enjoys the backing and protection of the Afghan Taliban.
Iranian reports say Jaish al-Adl’s main command and control centers are located in Afghanistan’s Nimroz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces, where the group allegedly runs training camps and equips fighters with modern weapons.
Analysts claim the Taliban not only provide safe havens but also offer financial and logistical support, enabling the group to carry out attacks inside Iran.
Jaish al-Adl has carried out several major attacks in recent years. In February 2024, the group attacked a Revolutionary Guards headquarters in Sistan- Balochistan, killing 11 soldiers.
In December 2023, an assault on a police station in Rask left 11 personnel dead. In July 2022, a security forces convoy was attacked in Khash, wounding several officers while a suicide bombing in Zahedan in May 2021 killed two policemen.
Iranian officials say all these operations were planned and directed from across the border in Afghanistan.
Iran has repeatedly warned the Taliban authorities about Jaish al-Adl’s activities. Iranian security agencies claim they possess evidence that some Taliban commanders provide weapons and training to the group.
International observers have also noted that the Taliban have tolerated, rather than dismantled, armed groups operating against neighboring countries.
The latest attack comes at a time when Iran and Afghanistan are already facing tensions over water rights and border security.
Iranian officials have now urged the Afghan authorities to prevent their territory from being used by groups hostile to Iran, warning that continued inaction will further damage bilateral relations and regional stability.
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