Iran Executes Baluch Man Accused of Jaish al-Adl Involvement in Police Station Attack

TEHRAN (Terror Monitor) — Iranian authorities have executed a Baluch man accused of involvement in an armed attack on a police station in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, near the border with Pakistan, Iranian state and semi-official media reported on Saturday.

The executed man was identified as Mohammad Aref Shahbakhsh, whom Iranian authorities described as a member of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, which has claimed responsibility for several attacks against Iranian security forces in the country's southeastern regions.

According to Iran's judiciary-affiliated Mizan News Agency, Shahbakhsh was executed on November 7 after his death sentence was upheld following judicial proceedings.

He had been convicted of baghy, or armed rebellion, and moharebeh, commonly translated as waging war against God, over his alleged involvement in an armed assault on the Qaleh Bid police station in Khash County, Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Iranian judicial authorities said the attack resulted in the deaths and injuries of several police personnel.

However, the official announcement did not specify the exact number of casualties or provide detailed information about the circumstances surrounding the attack.

The authorities also did not disclose the precise location of the execution or provide a detailed account of the trial proceedings.

According to the Iranian judiciary, Shahbakhsh was linked to Jaish al-Adl, an armed Sunni Baluch group operating primarily in southeastern Iran, particularly in areas bordering Pakistan.

Reuters Confirms Execution and Identifies the Alleged Attack

In a report published on November 7, international news agency Reuters independently reported the execution, citing Iranian media.

Reuters identified the prisoner as Mohammad Aref Shahbakhsh and said he had been convicted in connection with the armed attack on the Qaleh Bid police station in Khash.

The Reuters report also noted that Iranian authorities had not disclosed when the attack occurred or how many police officers were killed or wounded.

The report described Jaish al-Adl as an armed Sunni group operating in southeastern Iran near the Pakistani border and noted that it had carried out numerous attacks against Iranian security forces. Reuters +1

AFP Reports Details of the Judiciary's Announcement

Agence France-Presse (AFP), in a report published on Saturday, also covered the execution, quoting the Iranian judiciary's announcement that Shahbakhsh's death sentence had been carried out after the completion of legal procedures.

The judiciary described him as an operative linked to Jaish al-Adl, which it referred to as Jaish al-Zolm (al-Adl).

Iranian authorities said the attack on the police station had resulted in the deaths and injuries of several security personnel, but did not provide a precise casualty figure.

AFP also noted that Sistan-Baluchestan, one of Iran's poorest provinces, has experienced prolonged violence involving security forces and armed groups, including groups operating among the Baluch minority.

Human Rights Group Raises Questions About the Case

The execution has also drawn attention from Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), a Norway-based human rights organisation, which identified Shahbakhsh as a Baluch political prisoner.

According to the organisation, Shahbakhsh was approximately 27 years old and had been arrested on August 29, 2024. The group said he was held incommunicado for 52 days.

IHRNGO reported that the judiciary did not disclose the precise location of his execution and said it was working to verify whether he had been executed at Zahedan Central Prison.

The organisation also expressed concern over the lack of publicly available information about the judicial proceedings and the circumstances of his detention.

Separately, the Persian-language service of Euronews reported that human rights sources had raised questions about Shahbakhsh's access to legal representation and the transparency of the judicial process.

The Iranian judiciary maintained that the execution was carried out after the completion of legal procedures.

Attack on Qaleh Bid Police Station

According to reporting by Euronews Persian, the attack on the Qaleh Bid police station took place on August 17, 2024, and Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility.

The report said at least one Iranian conscript, identified as Ali Roufian, was killed during the assault. It also cited the Baluch human rights organisation Haalvsh, which reported that two Baluch civilians were wounded by shrapnel during subsequent firing in the surrounding area.

Euronews said Shahbakhsh's alleged involvement in the attack had not been independently verified.

Jaish al-Adl's Activities Near the Pakistani Border

Jaish al-Adl has been active in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, where it has carried out attacks against Iranian police, military personnel and other security installations.

The group has repeatedly targeted Iranian security forces in the region, which shares a lengthy and difficult-to-monitor border with Pakistan.

Tehran has accused the organisation of conducting armed operations against the Iranian state and has repeatedly linked its activities to cross-border militant networks.

The group had not issued an immediate public response to Shahbakhsh's execution.

Rising Concerns Over Executions in Iran

The execution comes amid growing international concern over the use of capital punishment in Iran, particularly in cases involving ethnic minorities and individuals accused of national security offences.

According to Iran Human Rights, at least 691 people were executed in Iran during the first ten months of 2026, including 64 Baluch individuals.

The organisation has repeatedly called for greater transparency in judicial proceedings and raised concerns about the treatment of prisoners accused of security-related offences.

The latest execution underscores continuing tensions between Iranian security forces and armed groups operating in Sistan-Baluchestan, a strategically important province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan.