At least two people taking part in pro- and anti-government rallies in Iran were killed, local media reported, citing officials. These are the first fatalities attributed to the recent mass protests.
The deaths were reported in the city of Doroud (Dorud), 325 kilometers southwest of Tehran, in Iran’s western Lorestan Province, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported. The unauthorized rally ignited clashes, Habibollah Khojastepour, the security deputy of Lorestan’s governor, told the agency, adding that two protesters were killed in the clashes.
“The gathering was to be ended peacefully, but due to the presence of the [agitators], unfortunately, this happened,” Khojastepour said. The official did not specify the causes of the deaths, adding that “no bullets were shot from police and security forces at the people.”
The ongoing protests across Iran started on Thursday as a demonstration against soaring food prices and unemployment, snowballing into the biggest anti-government movement in eight years.
Speaking to state TV, Khojastehpour said that those killed in Doroud were targeted by foreign agents, not the police, Reuters reports. “We have found evidence of enemies of the revolution, Takfiri [Sunni extremists] groups and foreign agents in this clash.”
