An IRGC officer was killed Friday in an armed attack on a military exercise in Iran’s restive Sistan-Baluchestan province which also left four assailants dead and three civilians injured, state media reported.

Ahmad Shafaei, spokesperson for the drills, said that four militants were killed in the clash. Meanwhile, a Baluch activist Telegram channel reported that several civilians, including family members, were targeted and injured during the clashes, blaming IRGC forces.

IRGC-affiliated media, however, said that three civilians, including two women, were hurt by the assailants.

The incident comes amid a surge in violence in the region. Last month, the Sunni Baloch insurgent group Jaish al-Adl killed ten Iranian border guards in Taftan County. The United Nations Security Council condemned that attack as a "cowardly terrorist act."

Sistan-Baluchestan has been the site of frequent attacks linked to Jaish al-Adl, a group known for ambushes, bombings, and other violent actions that have led to civilian and security personnel casualties. Jaish al-Adl advocates for an independent Balochistan, spanning Baloch communities across the Iran-Pakistan border, and has carried out numerous armed attacks in Iran’s southeast.

The Baloch community, along with the Kurds, is among Iran’s most marginalized groups. Sistan-Baluchestan is one of the country’s poorest regions, marked by high unemployment and a lack of infrastructure. As a result, many residents have turned to smuggling fuel, goods, and, in some cases, drugs as a vital means of survival.