Last year’s attack, in which two people convicted of being linked to ISIL were killed, left 13 dead and 40 wounded.
Tehran, Iran – A holy shrine in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz came under the second deadly attack in less than a year with another gunman entering its grounds and detonating.
Yadollah Bouali, the provincial commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state media that a shooter entered the Shah Cheragh shrine through its southern gate on Sunday at 7 p.m. (15:30 GMT) to carry out the “terrorist” operation, again earlier reports showing two shooters.
The killer, who was arrested at the scene, shot four people killing one, he said, adding that the shooter was carrying an assault rifle and eight magazines with 240 bullets, 11 of which he managed to descending before being conquered.
Videos online showed people running in panic outside the shrine and closing their shops. Pictures show bullet holes in walls and windows and blood on the ground.
The shrine, located in Fars province and one of the most important in Shia Islam, was hit by a similar attack on October 26, 2022.
At that time, a lone gunman entered the shrine with an automatic rifle, shooting a group of pilgrims and staff. Authorities said the gunman killed 13 people and wounded 40 others before being killed by security forces.
The ISIL (ISIS) armed group released a video through its Amaq website and claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group was also responsible for the coordinated attacks in 2017 on Iran’s parliament and the mausoleum of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran.
In early June, Iran killed two men it said were in contact with ISIL operatives in neighboring Afghanistan who provided the gunman with the rifle and took him to the shooting site.
Three other men were also tried and given prison sentences ranging from five to 25 years for working with the armed group.
Last year’s attack on the shrine also came as Iran was rocked by nationwide protests that began in September 2022 following the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly not following the mandatory dress code. country code for women.
It came 40 days after Amini’s death, when thousands gathered to mark the occasion in his hometown in northwestern Iran.
Iranian authorities, who blamed the “riots” backed by foreign powers for undermining the country’s security, said at the time that the riots paved the way for the Shah Cheragh attack to take place.
