Four Sunni militants die in shootout with Iran police

TEHRAN, Iran — Police and security forces killed four members of a Sunni militant group in a shootout in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Iranian state media reported Thursday.

The initial report said police and intelligence officers killed four men described as "leaders of a terrorist group ... involved in many terrorist and sabotage activities in the country."

The state IRNA news agency subsequently confirmed they were part of Jundallah, or God's Brigade, which has attacked Iranian troops in the past and is known to be active in the province and believed by some to have links to al-Qaida.

The agency added that authorities detained 15 suspects in the clashes.

In February, Iran hanged a member of the group, convicted of a bombing that same month that killed 11 members of the Revolutionary Guards in Zahedan, the provincial capital.

In addition, 12 people suspected of terrorist activities were reported killed in a shootout with security forces earlier this month in Sistan-Baluchistan.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have long been high as Iran has repeatedly accused the U.S. of backing militants and ethnic-opposition groups to destabilize the Iranian government.