Jaish Al-Adl

Jaysh al-Adl () is a Baloch Sunni jihadist militant organization that operates mainly in the Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran, where there is a porous border with Pakistan.

The group has claimed responsibility for several attacks against military personnel in Iran. The group has asserted that it is a separatist group fighting for independence of Sistan and Baluchistan Province and greater rights for Baluch people. The group also maintain ties with Ansar Al-Furqan, which is another Iranian Baloch armed group operating in Iran. Salahuddin Farooqui was the head of Jaysh al-Adl until his death in 2024. His brother, Amir Naroui, was killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Jaysh al-Adl has cooperated with Kurdish separatist groups in Iran, and strongly denounced Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war.

The group was founded in 2012 by members of Jundallah, a Sunni militant group that had been weakened following Iran's capture and execution of its leader, Abdolmalek Rigi, in 2010. Its first major attack took place in October 2013. Jaiyh al-Adl is a designated terrorist organization by Iran, China, Pakistan, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States.

In the wake of the 2025 Iran–Israel war, Jaysh al-Adl reportedly called on the people of Balochistan to join the group. Iranian state media has alleged that Saudi Arabia and the United States are key backers of the group.

Attacks

First attacks

On 25 August 2012, 10 members of the IRGC were killed in an attack.

On 25 October 2013, the group claimed responsibility for killing 14 Iranian border guards in the city of Saravan. The group claimed that the attack was in retaliation of 16 Iranian Baloch prisoners who were on death row. The prisoners were convicted of drug trafficking and extremism. As result of the attack, Iranian officials hanged 16 prisoners on 26 October 2013. Weeks later, on 6 November, two attackers opened fire on Musa Nuri's vehicle in the city of Zabol, province of Sistan and Balochistan. At least two people were killed in the attack, including Nuri, the Zabol city prosecutor, and his driver. Jaysh al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as for the hanging of the prisoners days before. Nine days later, militants attacked a patrol of the border guard, killing fourteen guards and wounding six more.

On 2 December of the same year, militants attacked an outpost in Saravan, killing one guard and wounding four, in response to the execution of 16 terrorists. Two weeks later, a roadside mine detonated against members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the city of Saravan, Sistan and Balochistan province, killing three soldiers. Jaysh al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack even in retaliation for the hanging of the 16 militiamen.

Intensification of attacks

On 2 February 2014, terrorist abducted five Iranian border guards in Sistan and Baluchistan, being transferred to Pakistan. One of the hostages was killed sometime in March 2014, while the other four were released on 4 April 2014. Jaysh al-Adl claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.

On 9 October, Iran's state news agency reported that three members of Iranian security forces were killed by Jaysh al-Adl. According to the news agency, the militants had called the police emergency line and once the members of security forces reached the area, they were attacked by militants belonging to Jaysh al-Adl. Previously, one Iranian soldier was killed and two pro-government militiamen were wounded in an attack that was blamed on Jaysh al-Adl.

On 6 April 2015, eight Iranian border guards were killed in a cross-border attack from Pakistan. Four days later, Jaysh al-Adl attacked an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) patrol, killing two officers in the attack. On 4 November of the same year, an explosive device detonated near a police vehicle in the Qasre Qand area, injuring four officers.

It was not until 6 January 2017, when the Group opened fire on an IRGC patrol in Jakigour, Sistan and Balochistan, killing one soldier and wounding three more.
On 26 April 2017, the group claimed responsibility for an ambush that killed at least nine Iranian border guards and injured two others. The Iranian border guards were patrolling the Pakistan–Iran border when they were attacked.

On 11 March 2018 four Jaysh al-Adl attackers (including two suicide bombers), killing all the attackers and wounding two Iranian soldiers. In April of the same year, an explosive device near a police post in Mirjaveh, killing three Iranian officers and three terrorists. On 26 June, terrorists again attacked an IRGC post in Mirjaveh, killing three terrorists and four soldiers in the attack. On 16 October, Jaysh al-Adl attack again in Mirjaveh poisoned and kidnapped 12 security personnel, and taken to Pakistan. Five hostages were freed on 15 November 2018, and four more hostages were freed on 22 March 2019. Jaysh al-Adl claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.
In December 2018, the group took responsibility for a suicide bombing in the port city of Chabahar, killing two police officers and wounded forty-two others.

On 29 January 2019, the group took responsibility for a double bombing in Zahedan which wounded three police officers.

On 2 February 2019, Jaysh al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack on Basij paramilitary base in south eastern Iran according to ''Tasnim News Agency''. The attack left one paramilitary soldier dead and wounded five other.

On 13 February 2019, a suicide bombing in Iran targeting a bus carrying IRGC personnel killed 27 people.

On 30 June, an explosive device detonated against an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) convoy in Kurin, Zahedan, Iran, injuring one soldier. Jaysh al-Adl later claimed responsibility for the attack.

On 8 July 2023, the group claimed responsibility for the attack on a police station in Zahedan killing two police officers. All four armed perpetrators died at the scene.

On 15 December 2023, the group conducted an attack targeting a police station in Rask, Sistan and Baluchistan Province and killing 11 police officers.

On 17 January 2024, just a day after Iran's missile attack on Pakistan, Jaysh al-Adl claimed to assassinate three IRGC officials including Colonel Hossein-Ali Javdanfar who was a IRGC commander for Sistan-Baluchistan Corps of Quds force.

On 4 April 2024, just three days after an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, IRNA reported that the group targeted several military headquarters in the southern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, killing eleven security forces. It was also reported that eighteen militants were killed. Jaysh al-Adl in a statement announced that the purpose of this attack was to counter the Iranian government's plan titled " Makran Coastal Development Plan", which through that, the IRI government is building planned settlements on the coast of Baluchistan and plans to move 7 million Shia people from the Fatemiyoun and Zainbiyoun groups to this area and settle them.

On 18 July 2024, An Iranian police officer was killed and two others injured in an armed attack in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, local police said on Friday.According to Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency, a group of gunmen in a sedan opened fire at a patrol unit in the city of Saravan late on Thursday, leaving several injured.

On 13 September 2024, at least 3 soldiers of the Iranian Border Guard Command were killed in an ambush in the Mirjaveh city of the south eastern province of Sistan Balouchestan near Pakistan-Iran border by the Jaysh al-Adl. The fatal casualties included an officer and two soldiers namely Second Lieutenant Mohammad Amin Narouei, Private Parsa Soozani, and Private Amir Ebrahimzadeh. One civilian present at the scene was also injured in the attack. The Jaysh al-Adl terrorist group, which is known for its violent activities and operates from neighboring Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the assault. Following the recent incident, Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref extended his condolences to the Iranian people and the families of the martyrs.

On 30 September 2024, at least 6 policemen were killed in separate attacks across different cities of the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan. In one incident, an Iranian border guard was killed and 2 others sustained injuries in a clash with unidentified armed persons in the Parud intersection of the Rask district of Sistan and Baluchistan. In a similar incident, another Iranian Police personnel of the Ranger unit was shot dead by unidentified armed persons in the city of Khash. In another attack, an Iranian Foraja personnel sustained injuries when unidentified armed persons targeted a Domak police station in Zahedan, the capital city of Sistan and Baluchistan province. Similarly, an Iranian border guard was killed when unidentified armed persons targeted Makki station in Hirmand city. According to Iranian state media, Jaysh al-Adl claimed responsibility for all the attacks.

On 26 October 2024, 10 policemen were killed when a police convoy was attacked in Sistan and Baluchestan. Jaysh al-Adl claimed responsibility.

On 10 November 2024, five soldiers of the IRGC were killed in an ambush. The militants attacked a watchtower in Sirkan area of Saravan near the Iranian-Pakistani border on Sunday evening, killing five members of the IRGC's Basij paramilitary forces, Mansour Bijar, the governor-general of Sistan-Baluchistan, told the state-run television.

Losses

On 29 September 2018, Iranian authorities announced that they have killed four and injured two fighters belonging to Jaysh al-Adl in an ambush in Saravan. According to the authorities, the dead included group's second-in-command, Hashem Nokri.

On 26 December 2020, Iranian authorities hanged Abdulhamid Mir Baluchzehi on charges of killing two Iranian Revolutionary Guards in 2015. According to Iranian authorities, Mir Baluchzehi was a principal member of Jaysh al-Adl.

On 3 January 2021, Hassan Dehvari and Elias Qalandarzehi were hanged by Iranian authorities on charges of abduction, bombing, murder of security forces and civilians, and of working with the extremist Jaysh al-Adl. The pair were arrested by Iranian authorities in April 2014.

On 30 January 2021, Iran hanged Javid Dehghan, the former leader of Jaysh al-Adl, for the murder of two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

On 10 August 2021, ''Tasnim News Agency'' reported that a clash took place between Taliban and Jaysh al-Adl in Afghanistan. Amir Naroui along with a leader of the Taher Shahouzi group and five Taliban fighters were killed in the clash. Amir Naroui was a prominent leader of Jaysh al-Adl and the brother of Salahuddin Farooqui.

On 16 January 2024, Iran claimed to have targeted Jaysh al-Adl's headquarters with ballistic missiles and drones in Pakistan's restive southwestern Baluchistan province. Pakistan condemned Iran for launching airstrikes that Tehran claimed targeted bases for a militant group. Islamabad angrily denounced the attack as a "blatant violation" of its airspace and said it killed two children. Two days later, Pakistan carried out strikes on separatist targets in Iran. Pakistani foreign ministry said hideouts used by BLA and BLF were successfully struck in the operation.

On 5 November 2024, a joint operation between Pakistan and Iran killed 12 militants, including Salahuddin Farooqui, the group's leader. The second and third in command were also among the dead.

On 8 November 2024, Iran's Revolutionary Guards intensified crackdown in Sistan and Balochistan, killing more militants of Jaysh al-Adl.

References

{{Baloch nationalism

Baloch nationalist militant groups
Jihadist groups in Pakistan
Militant opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran
Organisations designated as terrorist by Iran
Organizations designated as terrorist by China
Organisations designated as terrorist by Pakistan
Organisations designated as terrorist by Japan
Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States
Organisations designated as terrorist by New Zealand
Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist
Sunni Islamist groups
Organizations established in 2012
Deobandi organisations