Tariq Lodhi
On Saturday, the 26-Jul-2025, at about 08:30 hours, reportedly three young persons, in their early 20s, strapped with backpacks, posing as visitors, attempted to enter the Iranian Judiciary Complex located on Azadi Street in Zahedan[1]. The complex is a multi-storied building which is routinely guarded. One of the three terrorists lobbed a grenade at the entrance to neutralize the security, but instead killed a woman and a child, as the guard posted there shot him down. Taking advantage of the grenade explosion and the following confusion, the other two, reportedly, entered the building, shooting indiscriminately, and heading towards the Judges’ Chambers. Meanwhile, security re-enforcement had arrived outside and an encounter ensued.
Later, the Iranian authorities would claim six (06) civilians dead, including one woman and an infant, while about two dozen others were reported evacuated after sustaining injuries. According to unconfirmed reports, after carrying out the firing attack on the ground floor, during which the security re-enforcements had also surrounded the building and most of the others had fled, the gunmen went upstairs and took positions to exchange fire with the cordoning security personnel outside. The local Al-Quds unit of IRGC deployed there had taken its positions outside. According to some media outlets, as the two (02) cornered terrorists tried to engage the security forces, their accomplices outside tried to attack, where, as unconfirmed reports suggest that Mortar Shells and Grenades were lobbed. According to these reports, the encounter had lasted for about three hours[2], though there was no mention of this secondary attack by official Iranian media outlets. The proscribed group Jaish ul Adl claimed the responsibility of this attack and claimed that its Fidayeen Adl Elahi had carried out, which they called “Operation Justice for Bāsk”. The terrorist mouthpieces claim that the Zahedan attack was a reaction to the alleged execution of six terrorists in Zahedan prison on 21-Jul-2025. Assigning of such acronyms to its terrorist cells and attacks is similar to that of BLA which also assigns several names to its operators in its attacks in order to attach more significance, and to acclaim more propaganda value, not only for psychologically impressing innocent public, but also to lure potential recruits. But analysts find striking similarities in the modus-operandi of these attacks on both sides of Pak Iran border and assess it as being product of planning by common HIAs.
Some anti-Iran known media outlets claimed that besides the attack on the Judicial Complex, there were random sounds of explosions, while smoke could be seen rising from different locations. While serious media outlets made no such mention, the analysts believe that either the explosions were being made under a plan, so as to give a impression of a wider conflict, thus, adding to the public anxiety, fear and to trigger chaos. The calls by the terrorist groups on their media-outlets and social media platforms for the public to evacuate Zahedan was aimed to spur up chaos and panic, which, all seems to have failed. This announcement by the terrorist group is yet another common modus-operandi which is noticeable in the recent attacks by both BLA and Jaish-ul Adl, which we believe are directed by Indo-Israeli HIAs.
The Iranian authorities later confirmed that the three terrorists who were neutralized were strapped with suicide belts, which had not detonated. This is a very significant aspect, which on one hand points towards the swift response by the security forces, completely unexpected by the terrorists, and on the other identifies the signatures of Indian HIAs, who while sending such foot soldiers on their one-way suicide missions, usually plant a concealed remote-control trigger to detonate the suicide-belts, improvising the two-legged-walking-bomb a remote-controlled bomb. It is usually required to be detonated by a third person from a safe distance to prevent the attackers being captured alive or surrendering, should they have cold feet.
As standard procedures worldwide, the judiciary building in Zahedan is well protected by appropriate electronic signal jammers and other devices, that could have interfered with the remote-controlled detonation process, besides the response-force also would have added to the distance between the controller and the target-mechanism. Usually, such devices have short range or radius of operation, and as such its handler appeared to have desperately tried to get closer to the target area, but due to security cordon could not, and hence tried to breach his way by lobbing grenades, which was described as the second attack or wave. So far, the identities or ethnicity of the dead remains undisclosed. It is likely that there would be an alert in Pakistan’s side of the border to thwart any sympathetic terror attack by the Indian proxies, who also operate across Iranian territories believed to be using pseudo cover of Jaish-ul-Adl and conduct these operations in sync with MOSSAD’S clandestine plans.
Predecessor of Jaish-ul-Adl, which was known as Jundallah, had been neutralized by the Iranians as they had captured its leader under circumstances in which had arrested and later after his confessions and interrogation was executed in Jun-2010. In his confessional statements, he had given verifiable evidence to the Iranian authorities about MOSSAD and its allies being his and his group’s handlers and sponsoring them. Jundallah at that time, under instructions by its handlers, including Indian HIAs, while conducting its attacks against Iran, was taking full benefit of the Indian HIAs agents penetrated in Pakistan, for providing all sorts of facilitations, ranging from safe havens to paper-mill services for forged documents. These terrorist cells were provided safe havens and launching platforms in Bahramcha area in Helmand Province, bordering Tri-Border between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. To use these terrorists for performing in well planned False Flag Operations, that could achieve several clandestine objectives, the terrorist groups were traversed through Pakistan’s Balochistan for infiltration and exfiltration from Iran. The multiple objectives included sowing seeds of mistrust against Pakistan, and to prevent any improvement in relations between Iran and Pakistan. This fact has been amply revealed in the recent disclosures published in Al-Jazeera[3]. It seems that with the Indian HIAs using the benefit of their strategic agreement with Iran, were simultaneously providing the Iranians with pieces of information that they themselves had manufactured for the terrorists, to Iran, so as to finger towards Pakistan. Unfortunately, this strategy appeared to have had been effective for some time.
The Indians had a complete operational freedom for clandestine activity under the umbrella of the foreign forces in Afghanistan, which appears to have had a tacit approval of the forces, in order to keep Iran under check. The occupying foreign forces had tacitly facilitated India to have complete access to the ANDSF and NDS. Under this umbrella, India had successfully managed to orchestrate several False Flag Operations by launching attacks on Iranian territory using Jundallah, and later Jaish ul Adl, for launching classic False Flag Operations in Iran, Pakistan and even in Afghanistan. India indeed had multiple objectives to do so, amongst them one being to prevent Pakistan coalescing with Iran on diplomatic or commercial level and to ensure that India maintains a cozy relationship with the Iranians so that it can deeply entrench from its covert foot-holds in Zahedan and Chabahar, to oversee its covert warfare in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and UAE.
Already the recent disclosures regarding the Indo-Israeli strategic clandestine collaboration, one can see that India had very successfully leveraged its position and its anti-Taliban posture in Afghanistan during the previous decades, where it had co-joined and converged its objectives through arming, supporting and patronizing the former Northern Alliance alongside with Iran. It had succeeded in cementing its relations through strategic agreements with Iran, thus occupying the strategic placement space vis-à-vis Pakistan and also allowing itself relatively greater freedom to operate from the Iranian soil. While looking loosely the reporting tilts of pro-India and India based media propaganda outlets, one cannot fail to notice definite tilts of the respective pro-Israel and anti-Iran media houses and their focus on portraying Jaish al Adl and attempt to obscure the fact that Iran, on the strength of verifiable evidence, believes that Jaish al Adl is being propped up as an Israeli proxy. A number of serious analysts believe that Jaish al Adl is the other face of BLA who are being sponsored and handled to perform well-calibrated and distributed subversive roles in Iran and Pakistan respectively. These conclusions are further substantiated by the recent disclosures, and the launching of several Pseudo organisations, that aim to promote the specific India-Israeli views and promote their agendas for Balochistan on respective sides of the borders in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Some of these include launching of Balochistan Studies Project (BSP) on 12-Jun-2025, from the platform of Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a known US based advocacy group for Israel[4], launching of All India Baloch Association in India in 2023, etc.
With clear success of the Kurdish resistance model, the Indo-Israeli collaboration, supported by their other allies they seem to experiment in the region on similar templates. described while mentioning the achievements and functions and the recent launching of the project by memory. Indian media outlets are also emphasizing that Jaish ul Adl is based in Pakistan and through this grotesque fabrication, is trying to smear Pakistan’s image and try to throw a spanner in the improving relations between Iran and Pakistan, noticed particularly after the Indo-Israeli attempt to attack Pakistan through its so-called Operation Sindoor, and Israel’s Operation Rising Lion against Iran on 13-Jun-2025.
Apparently, the motive of orchestrating this attack on the Iranian judiciary early in the morning of 26-Jul-2025, was carried out to stall the Iranian President’s visit to Pakistan which was scheduled for the same day[5]. The the diplomatic sources have not cited any reason for this postponement and it would be unfair to assign the early morning attack in Zahedan as the reason for this postponement[6]. However, when seen through the lenses of the tremendous notoriety which Indo-Israeli collaboration in clandestine security and intelligence areas enjoy, the incident signifies the ability of this duo weaponizing this False Falg Operations and launching it for various exigency situations, simply at the drop of a hat.
Horrendous as it is, to conduct attack on judicial authorities who dispense justice for the public. Such attacks by the terrorists are though not new, and we can identify similar attacks carried out in Pakistan to intimidate and terrorize the judiciary and prevent them from meting harsh or swift sentences against the terrorists brought before them. Though attacks on Judicial authorities can be traced as far back as mid-nineties, when the Special Anti-Terrorism Courts were targeted by terrorist groups, and to more recent ones, such as targeting the senior SHC Judge’s convoy in Karachi on 26-Jun-2013, killing 9-persons and injuring several others[7], subsequent of mandating security enhancement of the court premises in 2014[8]. Later in Islamabad, a security sweep on 28-Feb-2014, netting several members of the Intaqami Cell, the new face of Tanveer Gondal Group and comprising of members of Harkat ul Mujahideen and Tehreek-I Taliban Pakistan (TTP)[9], was followed by a vicious attack by TTP targeting District Courts in Islamabad on 03-Mar-2014, that led to death of atleast 11-civilians, including sitting Judge and injuring more than two dozen. The Ahrar-ul Hind, a sub-group of TTP claimed the responsibility[10]. This group had ostensibly detached itself from TTP in protests against TTP holding negotiations with the government, thus exposing its deep nexus with the Indian HIAs, and engineering the attack to disrupt and stall the negotiations. Two years later, a remote-controlled IED concealed on road-side was detonated as the convoy of Judge from federal Shariat Court escorted by an Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) vehicle passed by it along Zarghoon Road in Quetta on 11-Aug-2016[11]. The explosion seriously injured atleast 14-persons. On 02-Aug-2024, a vehicle carrying several Judges was ambushed in Tank town area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, leading to martyrdom of two police officials escorting the Judges[12]. A cursory glance at these cases is sufficient to reveal the common modus operandi of the Indian sponsored terrorist groups to routinely attack the Judicial authorities. We find repetition of this very aspect in the Siestan e Balochistan Hybrid Warfare theatre. Noteworthy is the fact that despite these physical terrorist attacks, and hurling of serious threats to the judiciary by the Indian sponsored terrorist groups, the Judiciary, with whom various cases registered under the anti-terrorism act are being tried, has neither slowed down or became intimidated, nor shirk from their responsibilities of dispensing justice. Likewise with great public understanding of these tactics by Indian HIAs, there have been no incidents of any public uprising as intended by the terrorist groups.
Some unconfirmed reports from usually reliable v-blogger sources, claim that on or about 26-Jul-2025, the Iranian Security Forces had effectively neutralized at least 11-terrorists believed to be members of the BLA which is actively engaged in acts of terror in Pakistan’s Balochistan, and known to be taking refuge in Iran’s Siestan e Balochistan province[13]. This coincidence with the attack on the judiciary complex, the instant response by the first responders belonging to the Al-Quds base of IRGC in the area, identification and targeting of the Baloch BLA terrorists in the Iranian province and also, the last-minute postponement of the Iranian president’s visit to Pakistan, point towards increased security-intelligence synergies between Iran and Pakistan. It is possible that the intelligence and security setups of both the countries had succeeded in identifying a foiling wider conspiracy hatched by the Indian HIAs in sync with its strategic allies sharing common interests against Pakistan and Iran. Perhaps the announcement regarding the visit of the Iranian president was also a very calculated and coordinated move, which could have been publicized in order to force the hand of the anti-Iran-Pakistan forces into hastening up and activating their contingency plan, thus exposing their networks. Should it be the case, then Pak-Iran coordination seems to be maturing for the betterment of the security environment.
These clandestine relations between Israel and India have already been rudely exposed by collaborative launching of drones in Pakistan in 07-May-2025, and conducting the attack on Iran on 13-Jun-2025, both underscored with composite clandestine aims and objectives. There is a long history of this Indo-Israeli clandestine collaboration which spreads across several decades and covers several geographical regions including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, Europe, Central Asian Republics and of course India itself, where we saw the Pahalgam False Flag Operation on 22-Apr-2025, as one incident in the long list of similar operations.
Ironically, the propaganda mouth piece of Iranian Baloch militants, veiled in cover of a HR organisation, HAALVSH, has tried to justify the attack on the civilians in Zahedan, by trying to advocate on behalf of the terrorists that they only targeted the security and judiciary personnel which was an attack against state institutions. They have tacitly tried to throw blame of the dead innocent civilians, including the women and child upon the security forces whom they alluded of shooting indiscriminately people dressed in Baloch traditional dresses. We notice a stark similarity in these statements and allegations with those made by several pseudo-HR organisations when they try to defend the indiscriminate killing of innocent persons by the Indian proxies including BLA. One of the BLA mouthpieces has also acknowledged that there is an interconnectivity between the attacks in Iran and Pakistan by the so-called Baloch militants.
We must not ignore the fact that this attack in Zahedan was an ambitious plan devised to create panic and chaos in Zahedan and to create more space for escalating the propaganda and hybrid warfare through terrorist attacks on both sides of the border to further intensify international focus, and more importantly, we also see this as a renewed attempt by Indo-Israeli collaboration to undermine the developing relations between Iran and Pakistan. It appears that the ambitious plan by the Indo-Israeli planners came crumbling down as their diversionary tactics and efforts to create an impression of widespread attack by a large number of terrorists faltered and any chances of creating chaos petered out. It may be remembered that Zahedan has been the RAW’s major operational base on Iranian soil since several decades, overseeing the clandestine operations in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asian Republics and UAE. With Israeli formal presence across the Gulf in UAE has further reduced the physical distances between the Indian HIAs resources in Siestan e Balochistan and MOSSAD.
References
[1] “Security forces respond to militant attack on courthouse in south-east Iran – video”, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2025/jul/26/security-forces-respond-to-militant-attack-on-courthouse-in-south-east-iran-video
[2] “At least six civilians killed in militant attack on courthouse in south-east Iran”, by William Christou, The Guardian, 26-Jul-2025, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/26/people-killed-in-militant-attack-on-courthouse-in-south-east-iran-jaish-al-adl;
[3] “Israel is trying to hijack the Baloch struggle”, by Abdulla Moaswes, Opinion, Al-Jazeera, 25-Jul-2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/7/25/israel-is-trying-to-hijack-the-baloch-struggle;
[4] “Israel is trying to hijack the Baloch struggle”, by Abdulla Moaswes, Opinion, Al-Jazeera, 25-Jul-2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/7/25/israel-is-trying-to-hijack-the-baloch-struggle;
[5] “Iranian president to visit Pakistan on July 26th”, by Amin Ahmed, The Dawn, 22-Jul-2025, https://www.dawn.com/news/1925713;
[6] “Iranian President Pezeshkian’s Pakistan visit postponed”, Samaa TV, 26-Jul-2025, https://www.samaa.tv/2087336913-iranian-president-pezeshkian-s-pakistan-visit-postponed;
[7] “Pakistani Taliban claim attack on SHC judge in Karachi”, The Dawn, 26-Jun-2013, https://www.dawn.com/news/1020899/pakistani-taliban-claim-attack-on-shc-judge-in-karachi;
[8] “Riskiest of them all: City courts most vulnerable”, The Express Tribune, 03-Mar-2014, https://tribune.com.pk/story/678547/riskiest-of-them-all-city-courts-most-vulnerable;
[9] “Suspects held in Islamabad belong to militant group: police”, by Munawer Azeem, The Dawn, 02-Mar-2014, https://www.dawn.com/news/1090529/suspects-held-in-islamabad-belong-to-militant-group-police;
[10] “Judge, 10 others killed in Islamabad blasts, firing”, The Dawn, 03-Mar-2014, https://www.dawn.com/news/1090737;
[11] “14 injured as roadside bomb targets judge’s police escort in Quetta”, by Syed Ali Shah, 11-Aug-2016, https://www.dawn.com/news/1276864;
[12] “Gunmen kill 2 police officers escorting Pakistan judges”, by Ayaz Gul, 02-Aug-2024, https://www.voanews.com/a/gunmen-kill-2-police-officers-escorting-pakistan-judges/7727764.html;
[13] “Afghan Refugees Face Forced Eviction by July 31, Mass Expulsions Begin” Podcast by SJ Media, 26-Jul-2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT1TM2G-unY;
The author is former Director General, Intelligence Bureau.
