A suicide bomber killed a local police officer and critically wounded another in Bandar Lengeh, a southern Iranian port city with a significant Sunni Muslim community, state media reported Sunday.
The attacker reportedly stopped Capt. Mojtaba Shahid’s car Saturday evening before detonating an explosive vest, according to Javan Daily, a newspaper aligned with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Shahid’s deputy, who was also in the vehicle, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Authorities have labeled the incident an act of terrorism. Bandar Lengeh, located in the province of Hormozgan, is approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Tehran and has no recent history of militant activity.
While no group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, some local news outlets suggested Ansar al-Furqan, a Sunni militant organization with links to al-Qaeda, may be involved.
The attack marks a rare act of violence in the region, which has been relatively stable in recent years. Officials have not yet confirmed the identity of the bomber or the group responsible.
