State-run Mehr News described Gorgij as a pro-government Sunni cleric and blamed what it called “Zionist mercenaries” for the killing, without providing evidence or further details, Iran International reported.
***
Zahedan Governor Rakhshani-Nasab said Gorgij had been active in opposing “divisive elements and Zionism”.
Some local Iranian outlets separately said the attack was attributed to Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni Baluch militant group that has carried out attacks on Iranian security forces, though no claim of responsibility was immediately reported.
The IRGC Ground Forces’ Quds Base blamed what it called “terrorist groups” for the killing, saying the attack came after Revolutionary Guards forces had dismantled several “terrorist teams” in Sistan-Baluchestan.
The killing comes after a weekend of violence in Iran’s restive southeast. Heavy fighting between security forces and unidentified gunmen spread across parts of Saravan on Saturday, with attacks reported on military vehicles and dozens of security personnel killed or wounded, according to the Baluch rights group Haalvsh. The gunshots also continued on Sunday night.
It also follows the Sept. 9 killing of Sunni Kurdish cleric Mamosta Mohammad Nezhati in West Azerbaijan province. The Revolutionary Guards blamed what it called “Zionist-American Kurdish separatist groups” for that attack and said Nezhati had a history of cooperation with Basij organizations.
