ISTANBUL 

Iranian authorities reported clashes on Saturday between border guards and gunmen near the country’s border with Pakistan.

Reza Shojaei, commander of Iran’s border guards in Sistan and Baluchestan province, said Iranian forces clashed with “terrorists trying to infiltrate Iranian territory” in the city of Saravan in southeastern Iran, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

He said militants suffered heavy losses during the clashes and left behind large quantities of weapons.

Sistan-Baluchestan has experienced attacks by Jaish al-Adl, a group designated by Tehran as a terrorist organization. The group claims to defend the rights of the Baluch people in the region.