By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI (Reuters) – An assault on a Shia Muslim shrine within the Iranian metropolis of Shiraz killed 13 folks on Wednesday, authorities stated, and President Ebrahim Raisi has vowed that gunfire from suspected Sunni Muslim militants is not going to go unanswered.

The homicide of Shiite pilgrims praying on the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz has heightened rigidity in a rustic reeling from weeks of protests sparked by the homicide in police custody of Kurdish girl Mahsa Amini. Safety forces clashed with protesters marking 40 days for the reason that loss of life of the 22-year-old.

Inside Minister Ahmad Vahidi stated many individuals had been injured within the incident in Shiraz and the loss of life toll might rise additional. He blamed the protests which have swept Iran for paving the way in which for such “terrorist assaults”.

Iran will reply to the assault on the shrine, Raisi stated, in response to state media.

“Expertise reveals that the enemies of Iran, after failing to create a cut up within the united ranks of the nation, take revenge by means of violence and terror. This crime will definitely not go unanswered, and the forces of safety and policing will train a lesson to those that engineered and carried out the assault,” Raisi stated.

Preliminary reviews indicated that three gunmen had been concerned within the assault. State information company IRNA described them as “takfiri terrorists”, a label utilized by officers in predominantly Shia Iran to seek advice from extremist armed Sunni Islamist teams.

Nournews, affiliated with Iran’s essential safety physique, stated they weren’t Iranian nationals.

Nevertheless, the native police chief later stated a sniper carried out the assault and was being questioned after his seize. He gave no additional particulars.

The semi-official Tasnim information company stated the attacker shot an worker on the entrance to the shrine earlier than his gun jammed and he was chased by passers-by.

He managed to restore his weapon and opened hearth on his pursuers, earlier than coming into a courtyard and capturing at worshippers. A number of ladies and kids had been among the many useless, he added.

The assault happened the identical day Iranian safety forces opened hearth on mourners who gathered in Amini’s Kurdish hometown of Saqez, in response to a witness.

“Riot police fired on mourners who gathered on the cemetery for the Mahsa memorial ceremony… dozens had been arrested,” the witness stated. Iranian authorities weren’t out there for remark.

The semi-official ISNA information company stated round 10,000 folks had gathered on the cemetery, including that the web was reduce off after clashes between safety forces and residents.

Movies on social media confirmed 1000’s of Iranians marching in the direction of the cemetery the place Amini is buried regardless of a heavy presence of riot police. Activists had referred to as for protests throughout the nation to mark 40 days since her loss of life after being detained for “inappropriate costume”.

Protests sparked by the loss of life of the 22-year-old in Iranian vice police custody on September 16 have turn into one of many boldest challenges to non secular leaders for the reason that 1979 revolution.

A variety of Iranians took to the streets, some calling for the autumn of the Islamic Republic and the loss of life of Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A witness stated “women and men gathered round Amini’s grave at Aichi Cemetery in Saqez, chanting ‘Lady, Life, Freedom’”. One other witness in Saqez stated the cemetery was full of members of the Basij volunteer militia and riot police.

“However folks from throughout Kurdistan Province are right here. All of us mourn Mahsa’s loss of life collectively.”

Safety police had warned his household to not maintain a memorial procession or “their son will likely be arrested”, rights teams stated. Nevertheless, Kurdistan Governor Zarei Kusha denied the existence of any restrictions, including that it was the household’s choice to not maintain a gathering, in response to state media.

Movies on social media confirmed safety forces blocking roads resulting in Saqez. Reuters couldn’t confirm the authenticity of the movies.

Authorities on Wednesday closed all colleges and universities in Kurdistan province “attributable to a flu wave”, Iranian state media reported.

STUDENT PROTESTS

Movies on social media confirmed crowds filling the streets of many cities and shuttered bazaars in Tehran and another cities with folks chanting “Dying to Khamenei”.

1500tasvir, a Twitter account targeted on protests in Iran with 280,000 followers, reported a “brutal crackdown” on protesters at a number of places in Tehran, together with a rally on the Tehran Medical Affiliation.

A former pro-reform Iranian official stated the unfold of protests appeared to have taken authorities unexpectedly and contrasted with institution claims that assist for the Islamic system is overwhelming.

America has imposed new sanctions on Iranian officers, together with those that oversee Evin jail in Tehran, and others for web censorship and repression.

Whereas some analysts stated the prospects for the upcoming daybreak of a brand new political order are dim, activists stated a wall of concern had fallen and the trail to a brand new revolution was not reversible.

College students have performed a central position within the protests, with dozens of universities on strike. Tons of of schoolgirls joined in, chanting “Freedom, Freedom, Freedom”, regardless of fierce repression by safety forces.

State media and hardliners referred to as the protesters “hypocrites, monarchists, thugs and seditionists.”

Rights teams stated at the least 250 protesters had been killed, together with teenage ladies, and 1000’s had been arrested.

Authorities, who’ve accused america and different Western international locations of fomenting what they name “riots”, have but to announce the loss of life toll, however state media stated a thirty members of the safety forces had been killed.