Key facts
- Senior Sunni Muslim cleric Molavi Yusef Gorgij was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in southeastern Iran on Monday.
- Officials described Gorgij as active in the fight against "divisive elements and Zionism."
- The attack occurred in Sistan-Baluchistan province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Molavi Yusef Gorgij, a senior Sunni Muslim cleric, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in southeastern Iran on Monday, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA. A local governor quoted by IRNA stated that Gorgij "was active in the fight against divisive elements and Zionism," suggesting a pro-government alignment.
The incident took place in Sistan-Baluchistan province, a region bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan with a significant Sunni Baluch population. This province has long been a site of conflict involving Islamist or ethnic militants fighting security forces and figures aligned with Tehran. Officials have launched an investigation and urged residents to remain calm, characterizing the attack as an effort to undermine security and incite sectarian divisions within the province. No group has claimed responsibility for the killing.