4 killed in Iran shrine attack: State media

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - At least four people were killed and many others wounded on Sunday in an attack on a popular shrine in southern Iran, according to Iran's state media.

Local media cited eyewitnesses as saying that at least two armed assailants attacked the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz on Sunday, killing among others guards at the entrance.

Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and urged people not to rush toward the shrine.

The 12th century shrine, which houses the grave of a revered Shia scholar, is a popular attraction for local and foreign tourists.

One unconfirmed report said at least one attacker has been apprehended by security forces while the other managed to flee the scene.

Last October, at least 13 people were killed and 40 others injured after an armed assailant opened an indiscriminate fire inside the shrine.

The responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Iran in many years, was claimed by Daesh/ISIS.

In July, Iranian judicial authorities publicly executed two men over involvement in the attack.

It was the first major attack in Iran claimed by Daesh/ISIS since 2017, when five heavily-armed men attacked the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of the country’s founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, in Tehran.