The armed "terrorists" tried to enter a police station in the city of Zahedan on Saturday morning by pretending to be regular clients, but were denied entry by a policeman guarding the station's entrance, which resulted in clashes between the two sides, Tasnim quoted the province's Police Commander Doostali Jalilian as saying.

One "terrorist" was killed soon after the start of the clashes, he added, noting that the assailants, who had failed to enter the police station, ascended a watchtower and began shooting at the security staff and policemen who had surrounded the watchtower.

The other three "terrorists" and two policemen were killed in an exchange of fire, Jalilian said, stressing that four firearms, seven grenades and a number of suicide vests were seized from the "terrorists."

The attack took place at 07:15 a.m. local time (0345 GMT), the province's Deputy Governor for Security and Law Enforcement Alireza Marhamati told the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network in an interview on Saturday. He ruled out the possibility of suicide operation, saying that the assailants tried to enter the police station by using grenades.

(With UNI inputs)