Gunmen killed a border guard on Thursday in Mirjaveh County, located in Iran's restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, state-run media reported.

The province, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been a hotspot for sporadic deadly clashes involving militant groups, armed drug traffickers, and Iranian security forces.

Among the groups active in the region is Jaish al-Adl, known for ambushes, bombings, and other violent operations that have claimed the lives of civilians and security personnel.

Jaish al-Adl advocates for an independent Baluchestan, encompassing Baluch populations on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border, and has carried out numerous attacks in southeastern Iran.

Sistan-Baluchestan is one of Iran’s least developed regions, with strained relations between its predominantly Sunni Muslim population and the country’s Shiite-led establishment.