Eight Iranian soldiers were killed in clashes with “terrorist groups” on the border with Turkey on Friday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

“This afternoon, during clashes between border guards and terrorist groups, the latter suffered several losses but unfortunately eight members of the security forces were martyred,” the agency quoted Alireza Radfar, a deputy governor in West Azerbaijan province as saying, without giving further details.

Friday’s clashes took place in Chaldoran county bordering Turkey. On October 26, the authorities also announced the death of four “terrorists” in the county.

Chaldoran country in Iran’s far northwest is mainly populated by Kurds and Turkish-speaking minority Azeris.

Security forces in the Islamic republic often clash with separatists or jihadist groups along the country’s western borders with Turkey and Iraq.

Cross-border attack: 1 FC soldier killed, three injured in Iranian firing

Since a double attack in the capital Iran in June claimed by the Islamic State group, official media regularly report the dismantling of cells reported to be planning attacks on Iranian territory.