Iran Intelligence Says Seven People Detained For Shiraz Shrine Attack

Iran’s Intelligence Ministry says it has identified and arrested seven people as part of the investigation into last Wednesday attack on a Shia shrine in the southern city of Shiraz.

The attack, which the authorities call a “terrorist attack by Takfiris,” killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more. Iranian state media said right after the attack two people linked to the incident had been arrested and a manhunt was underway to capture the third.

Hours after the raid, Reuters quoted a statement from an ISIS telegram channel saying that the group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group has also released their statement through its affiliated Amaq news agency that said one of its members had “targeted groups of Shiite refusal infidels inside the shrine.”

Many Iranians, however, believe the regime itself engineered the attack to divert attention from fierce antigovernment protests.

Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib initially said on Monday that the “second agent” behind the attack had been arrested. An hour later, the Ministry of Intelligence announced six of the “support agents” of the armed attack team have also been identified and detained.

Still no details about the identity of the seven people have been published, but the Ministry of Intelligence has “promised” to provide additional reports soon.

The governor of Fars province said Sunday that the attacker, who was wounded, succumbed to his injuries in Shiraz hospital.