Nine people, including three assailants, were killed and 20 others wounded in an armed attack on a courthouse in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan on Saturday, Iranian state media reported.

Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said gunmen stormed the judiciary building in the restive Sistan and Baluchestan province and opened fire, first targeting court offices and then shooting at civilians outside.

Security personnel helped court staff and visitors leave the area as gunfire and an explosion were heard from inside the building, Fars said. The cause of the explosion has not been announced. Local speculation pointed to a possible suicide bomber, though this remains unverified.

According to the rights group Haalvsh, the attackers entered through Azadi Street and directly targeted the judges’ offices. Eyewitnesses said several judiciary employees and security forces were hit. The area remains under tight lockdown.

Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni armed group rooted in Iran’s Baluch minority, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group had recently threatened retaliation over the execution of Baluch prisoners in Iran.

The province has seen a sharp rise in executions this year. Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO recorded at least 343 executions in the first four months of 2025, a 75-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Baluch prisoners accounted for nearly one-third of all executions in April, including four men hanged on April 30. Rights groups have warned of the possible execution of 85 Baluch inmates in Zahedan Central Prison.

Jaish al-Adl, which has claimed a series of past attacks on military positions including those of the IRGC, is designated as a terrorist organization by both the Islamic Republic and the United States.

Sistan and Baluchestan has long been a center of unrest, frequently targeted by armed factions like Jaish al-Adl, known for ambushes, bombings, and raids that have killed both civilians and security personnel.