Two Basij Militia Killed In Attack On Iran's Southeast Railway
Two Basij militia members were killed in an armed assault on a guard post along the railway route from Zahedan to Bam in southeast Iran.
Two Basij militia members were killed in an armed assault on a guard post along the railway route from Zahedan to Bam in southeast Iran.
According to the Quds Headquarters of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the two members were identified as Mohammad Anvar Gomshadzahi and Abdolhossein Baluch.
The incident follows a deadly assault in December perpetrated by the militant Sunni organization Jaish al-Adl, which targeted a police station in Rask, a small city in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan Province, resulting in the deaths of 12 police officers.
Sistan-Baluchistan Province, marked by poverty and bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, hosts a substantial Sunni population from the Baluch ethnic group. The community faces pressure from Iran’s Shiite clerical rulers and experiences frequent clashes between security forces and Sunni militants, as well as drug smugglers.
Jaish al-Adl, purportedly advocating for greater rights and improved living conditions for ethnic minority Baluchis, frequently asserts responsibility for such attacks. Over recent years, the group has launched multiple assaults on Iranian security forces in the province.
In July, Jaish al-Adl targeted a police station in Zahedan, the provincial capital, alleging its involvement in the September 30, 2022, massacre of approximately 90 civilians, known as Black Friday. The ensuing anti-government protests following Friday prayers led to confrontations with security forces, resulting in demonstrations in Zahedan and the subsequent arrest of hundreds by security forces.
On Saturday, social media users in Iran shared images of the slogans written in red and black on the building’s walls. Messages such as “Blasphemy is our red line,” “It must be shut down,” and “We will go after every single employee” conveyed ominous threats.
Digikala has faced criticism for designing mugs, cups, and shoes with names and humorous short texts, some of which reference holy Shia figures like Fatemeh Zahra, the daughter of Islam’s prophet.
Iran’s judiciary denounced these designs as “sacrilegious” and declared that Digikala would face prosecution in Tehran’s general and revolutionary courts. No further details regarding the complaint have been disclosed.
Some users argue that many Iranians have religious names, suggesting that Digikala’s use of such names in its designs is not inherently sacrilegious or blasphemous.
This is not the first time the Islamic Republic’s judiciary has targeted Digikala, the largest online retailer. In February 2023, the company’s office building was attacked after photos surfaced showing female Digikala employees without hijab, prompting calls from hardliners to take action against the company and its staff.
Digikala employs tens of thousands of individuals, subcontractors, and businesses that supply its merchandise.
Independent news website Rouydad24 criticized the judiciary for penalizing businesses over hijab enforcement, questioning why online enterprises are being shuttered amid economic challenges.
Donya-ye Eqtesad newspaper echoed these concerns, highlighting the impact of online business closures on employees, contractors, and others in the industry, particularly when the economy is a pressing national issue.
In addition to Digikala, the Iranian regime has closed thousands of businesses in recent months for failing to comply with mandatory hijab regulations, resulting in significant job losses. Restaurants, cafes, bookstores, and hotels have faced closure or warnings due to staff and patrons violating hijab rules.
Since the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, sparking the Women, Life, Freedom protests, civil disobedience has grown increasingly challenging for the regime to suppress. Daily images of women without compulsory hijab continue to circulate online.
In response, Iranian authorities have implemented various measures, including sealing commercial venues, restricting services to women without hijab, issuing warnings, and employing car seizures and violent arrests.
In September, the Iranian parliament approved a bill titled “Protection of Family Through Promotion of Hijab and Chastity Culture,” outlining penalties, including hefty fines, for deviation from Islamic dress codes.
Armita Geravand, a sixteen-year-old girl, was one of the latest victimsof the regime’s repressive hijab policy. She died on October 28 after spending about a month in a coma due to brain damage sustained during a violent encounter with hijab enforcers at Tehran’s subway stations. Her funeral, held at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, was heavily guarded.
According to HRANA’s annual report for 2023, 44 women were detained for women’s rights activism, with at least 20 activists sentenced to 182 months in prison, along with fines. Two individuals also received sentences of 222 lashes.
