TEHRAN – Four people were killed in two separate attacks in Iran’s southeastern region on Saturday as terrorists seem to have ramped up attacks after a period of heavy crackdown by Iran’s military and security forces. 

One attack in the Sistan and Balouchestan province resulted in the martyrdom of two Basiji forces. In a separate incident hours later, two traffic policemen lost their lives when an unidentified terrorist opened fire on their vehicle in Kerman province.

The attacks were the latest in a string of terrorist acts engulfing Iran’s southeastern region in recent years, particularly Sistan and Baluchestan. 

After a shocking attack on a police convoy in November, resulting in the martyrdom of over a dozen policemen and soldiers, Iran’s military and security forces began concerted efforts to neutralize terror cells and their affiliates. Several networks have been dismantled since then, and Iranians have confiscated large caches of weapons slated to go to the terrorists. 

The two Saturday attacks happened after a period of calm, and after Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib announced ‘imported elements' are seeking to create chaos in southeast Iran. “Throughout the history of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic, enemies have always attempted to carry out acts of sedition and to plot [against the country]. Today, we also witness that if acts of stoking insecurity occur, these actions are carried out by imported agents who do not belong to this people or this region,” Khatib said during a visit to the southeastern province on Friday.

The region, particularly the area known as Makran, is set to become an important business hub for Iran in the coming years. 

The Tehran Times understands that the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and the intelligence ministry have further intensified anti-terrorism efforts since the recent assaults.