At least three policemen were killed in separate attacks by militants and gunmen in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, state media reported on Monday.

One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baloch minority, and extremists.

“A border guard was killed a few hours ago in a clash with gunmen in Hirmand in Sistan-Baluchistan province,” the official IRNA news agency reported.

A separate attack on law enforcement in the same region on Monday left another border guard killed and two others wounded, IRNA said.

The news agency also reported that a member of the police special force was killed in the town of Khash, also in Sistan-Baluchistan.

Pakistan-based militant group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice in Arabic) claimed responsibility for the last two attacks in a message on Telegram.

The group has claimed responsibility for several attacks in recent months, including a Sunday raid that killed a policeman in the same region.

Iran executes two men in public over deadly armed robbery

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities on Monday executed two men in public over the killing of a police officer during an armed robbery in central Iran, according to the judiciary.

“The death sentence of two armed robbers was carried out this morning in the city of Khomein” in the central Markazi province, the judiciary’s Mizan Online reported, citing the local prosecutor.

According to the report, the sentence was carried out in public on Monday morning.

Iran, which performs death sentences by hanging, rarely executes convicts in public.

The two convicts shot dead a police officer almost four years ago while attempting to flee after clashes with law enforcement, Mizan reported.

Iran carries out the highest number of executions annually after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.

The Islamic republic uses capital punishment for major crimes including murder and drug trafficking, as well as rape and sexual assault cases.