Five gunmen and a member of the Iranian forces were killed on Tuesday 13 October 2026, during a security operation in the Kourin area west of Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province in south-eastern Iran. The operation ended with the rescue of an engineer whom the authorities said had been held by an armed group.
Revolutionary Guard locates cell holding engineer
The Quds Headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Ground Forces said the operation targeted a cell specialising in hostage-taking, adding that the rescued engineer worked on construction projects in the area. The engineer’s identity and the name of the project where he worked were not disclosed. According to the headquarters’ account, the group kidnapped the engineer on Monday 12 October in an area west of Zahedan and intended to take him to a neighbouring country.
It added that the group was co-operating with armed groups and aimed to take the abducted man out of Iranian territory. The Revolutionary Guard said its forces, under intelligence supervision, identified the site where the group was operating in the Kourin area before carrying out a surprise operation against its members.
Five gunmen and member of Iranian forces killed
According to the statement, the clash left five members of the group dead and resulted in the engineer’s release. The Quds Headquarters also announced the death of one member of the forces taking part in the operation. The published statements gave no information about his identity or rank, and did not report any other casualties among the forces or gunmen.
Initial reports said three gunmen had been killed after a site described by the authorities as a house used by the group in the Chah Ahmad area of Kourin was targeted, adding that search operations were continuing. The death toll later rose to five after the hostage’s rescue and the announcement that a member of the Iranian forces had been killed.
Official accounts differed over the situation on the ground after the operation. An informed source said the clashes had ended after the five gunmen were killed, while a statement from the Quds Headquarters said the confrontation with remaining members was still continuing and that further details would be published later.
