ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Sunni cleric closely linked to Iran's security establishment was shot dead in Sistan and Baluchestan province on Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said, marking the latest in a string of killings targeting figures associated with the Islamic Republic amid a surge in militant activity across the restive southeastern province.
“The treasonous terrorist groups assassinated Molavi Yousef Gorgij, a prominent Sunni cleric known as an influential figure in promoting Shia-Sunni unity in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement carried by the semi-official Mehr News Agency.
“He was martyred this afternoon in a terrorist act carried out by enemies of unity and Baloch-killing factions, at the door of his home,” the statement added.
Haalvsh, an independent human rights organization focusing on Baluch affairs in the southeastern province, reported that Gorgij “was shot and killed by unknown armed individuals” in the provincial capital Zahedan, noting that “the identity of the perpetrators and their motive remain unknown” and that “no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the killing.”
The monitor further noted that Gorgij was widely regarded in the province as “someone close to government and security institutions,” and that “his activities and positions were largely oriented toward supporting Islamic Republic policies,” including against anti-government protesters and critics from Baloch and Sunni communities.
Sistan and Baluchestan is a large, impoverished, and underdeveloped frontier province bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, primarily populated by members of Iran's ethnic Baloch and Sunni Muslim communities. The province has long been mired in deep security challenges between Iranian security forces and Baloch armed groups, including Jaish ul-Adl.
While localized anti-state and tribal unrest predates it, 2003 marked the beginning of an organized, modern militant campaign against Iranian security forces in the region. The province is also a frequent focal point for anti-establishment sentiment and periodic protests - particularly following Friday prayers led by prominent Sunni cleric Molana Abdolhamid - alongside persistent reports of heavy-handed state crackdowns against local populations.
The killing of Gorgij comes after another Sunni cleric linked to the IRGC, Abdolraouf Eshaghi from Sistan and Balushitan’s Saravan county, was killed on Wednesday, with the Corps blaming what it described as "treasonous mercenaries" and "Baloch-killing factions."
"The self-serving terrorists must know that assassinating Baloch security guardians will not compensate for their consecutive defeats," the IRGC said, warning that "the pure blood of this martyr will not go unavenged, and other terrorist cells will soon be struck."
Days later, IRGC and intelligence personnel raided a house in Saravan on Saturday, triggering clashes with Baloch militants that lasted until noon, according to Tasnim News Agency, an outlet affiliated with the Corps. The fighting left three IRGC members and four Baloch militants dead, Tasnim added.
The People's Fighters Front, a Baloch armed group based in the southeastern province, said one of its units in Saravan came under attack by Iranian military and security forces, according to Haalvsh.
In late August, Tasnim also reported that security forces killed one Jaish ul-Adl member and arrested six others in two joint operations conducted by the IRGC and Iran's intelligence ministry.
