TEHRAN, March 19 (UPI) -- Iran said Friday that security forces in the south of the country killed a militant leader of Jundallah tied to the October assassination of a military leader.
Iranian security forces clashed with Jundallah militants as they crossed the southern Iranian border from Pakistan, Iranian state-funded broadcaster Press TV reports.
Berkat Zamrani, a Jundallah commander, was killed during the raids. Tehran believes Zamrani was behind the October assassination of Brig. Gen. Nur Ali Shoushtari, a top commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Tehran said two other Jundallah leaders were captured during the raids.
The Iranian government blames Jundallah for stoking instability in southern provinces near the Pakistani border. Tehran says more than 140 people were killed by attacks launched by Jundallah.
The militant group claims it is fighting for Sunni rights in the Shiite-dominated region.
The government announced in February that it detained Jundallah leader Abdolmalek Rigi when Iranian fighter jets forced his flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan to land in Iran.
Authorities said Rigi had support from "at least" three foreign countries, adding he was carrying an Afghan passport when he was arrested.
