On December 26, the Revolutionary Guards had said two of its members had been killed in the province that borders Pakistan, in "armed clashes with a group of bandits and mercenaries", without providing further details.

On Friday, the Guards said they "targeted and killed the perpetrators behind this crime" in a "surprise" operation, according to a statement reported by the website Sepah News.

The suspects had been working on "shaking the peace and security of residents in the southeast of the country", they added without elaborating.

Sistan-Baluchistan province lies on the border with Pakistan and is a flashpoint of clashes between security forces and armed groups.

The clashes often involve smuggling gangs as well as separatists from the Baluchi minority or extremist militant groups.

On November 18, three Iranian policemen, including a colonel, were killed and six others wounded in clashes with an armed group while patrolling an area bordering Sistan-Baluchistan.