Casualties Reported In 'Terrorist Attack' In Southern Iran

Iranian state media have reported a terrorist attack on Sunday at a religious shrine in Shiraz, southern Iran, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.

According to government media reports, two gunmen attempted to enter the premises of Shahcheragh, which was the site of another shooting incident last year. However, they were met with resistance from security guards.

Subsequently, the gunmen unleashed a shooting spree that claimed the lives of at least two guards and two visitors, while also causing injuries to several others, IRNA reported. Different Iranian media outlets have presented conflicting figures regarding the number of casualties.

As of now, one of the shooters has been apprehended, while the other perpetrator remains at large, Fars news reported without any information about their identity.

In July, Iran publicly hanged two Afghan men who were accused of involvement in an attack on Shahcheragh last October, resulting in 15 deaths and 20 injuries.

The lone gunman, armed with an assault rifle, entered the shrine and opened fire, and was subsequently shot and wounded. The government reported he died in hospital, identifying him as a Tajikistan citizen. The two men who were hanged on July 8 were alleged to have directly participated in the "arming, procurement, logistics, and guidance of the main perpetrator" of the terrorist attack.

The October attack on Shahcheragh coincided with anti-regime protests in Iran. This prompted speculation and accusations that the government orchestrated the attack as a diversion from the protests and as a pretext for further crackdown.

In a perplexing turn of events, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, which fit the government narrative of Iran being under attack by extremists.