Iranian leaders try to link Islamic State-shrine attack to ongoing protests
Global News
The protests continued on Thursday, including in the northwestern city of Mahabad, some 515 kilometres from Iran's capital, Tehran.
Iran’s supreme leader and its president tried Thursday to link the nationwide protests roiling the country to an Islamic State-claimed gun attack on a famous mosque that killed 15 people.
The comments come as Iran’s theocracy has been unable to contain the demonstrations, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her detention by the country’s morality police.
There is no evidence linking extremist groups to the widespread, largely peaceful demonstrations that have been repeatedly targeted by a heavy-handed security force crackdown in the country.
The protests, the most serious unrest to grip Iran since its 2009 Green Movement demonstrations, have vented anger over Iran’s cratered economy and its theocracy. Over 200 people have been killed, with thousands of others arrested by police, activists say.
On Wednesday, a gunman opened fire on worshippers at Shiraz’s Shah Cheragh mosque, the second-holiest site in Iran. State media said at least 15 people were killed in the assault, which authorities initially attributed to multiple gunmen.
Footage released Thursday by authorities showed the gunman walking near the mosque with a large backpack, then later moving inside with a Kalashnikov-style assault rifle. Barefoot worshippers inside try to flee as the man opens fire, then hunts those hiding behind whatever they could find. Blood could be seen on the mosque’s floor.
Riot police later captured the man, who authorities have yet to identify.
The Islamic State group late Wednesday claimed responsibility for the attack on its Amaq news agency. It said an armed IS militant stormed the shrine and opened fire on visitors.
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