A child is rescued from the Parliament building in Tehran
At least 12 people died and dozens were injured in gun and bomb attacks at the Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini's shrine in Tehran, emergency services said, as cited by local media. Both assaults were later claimed by Islamic State.
Attackers
opened fire on guards inside the parliament building in the Iranian capital on Wednesday morning, FARS news agency reported.
A guard from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was among those killed in the shooting.
فیلم/ التهاب در خیابان اطراف #مجلس در بهارستان، در پی تیراندازی افراد ناشناس pic.twitter.com/IF10z90S2e
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) June 7, 2017
A male assailant was arrested in a parliament hallway while attempting to escape, Akbar Ranjbarzadeh, a senior member of the parliament's Presiding Board, told Farsnews.
"I was inside the parliament when the shooting happened. Everyone was shocked and scared.
I saw two men shooting randomly," one journalist at the scene said, as cited by Reuters.
A Tasnim reporter at the parliament said lawmakers had been locked in the building's hall.
Anti-Terrorism Special Forces (NOPO) were deployed at the parliament building, according to FARS.
Later on Wednesday, reports emerged saying that gunmen had opened fire at the mausoleum of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini in the capital.
Fars reported that two assailants opened fire at civilians. Another assailant blew himself up in an apparent suicide attack, local news agencies said.
Tehran Governor Hossein Hashemi confirmed the incident at the Ayatollah Khomeini mausoleum, saying that one attacker was killed by security forces and other assailants were arrested, IRIB broadcaster reported, as cited by Reuters.
© twitter.com/MehrnewsCom / Global Look Press
The Tehran Province Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting following both incidents, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli told reporters.
Following both shootings, a suicide blast was reported on the fifth floor of the Iranian parliament, Tasnim and IRIB said. Fars added that the suicide bomber blew himself up on the fourth floor.
The death toll in attacks across Tehran rose to 12, with at least 39 people injured, the head of Iran's emergency department, Pir-Hossein Kolivand, said, IRIB broadcaster and Mehr news agency reported.
The Iranian Intelligence Ministry confirmed that a terrorist group launched the attacks in Tehran. It's not clear which extremist organization was behind the attacks.
"This morning two terrorist groups attacked the parliament and Imam Khomeini's shrine ... Members of a third group were arrested before being able to carry out any attack," the ministry said, according to Reuters, citing Persian-language IRIB TV.
Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attacks on both the parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini's mausoleum, said Amaq news agency, which is affiliated with the group.
Mehr news agency released an alleged photo of one of the attackers killed by security guards outside the mausoleum. Grenades, an assault rifle and numerous magazines can be seen next to the body of the suspected assailant.
According to Ali Larijani, the current chairman of the Iranian parliament, the attacks show that extremists want to undermine the country's efforts in its battle against terrorism.
"
Iran is an active and effective hub for combating terrorism, and terrorists wish to undermine such activities," he said, as cited by Mehr news agency.
Larijani was heading a parliament session behind closed doors as the attack unfolded.
The attacks in Tehran show that terrorists won't cease in their efforts to cause destruction, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"The fact that terrorist won't stop, is, unfortunately, confirmed every day. It includes today's attacks in Iran which were claimed by Islamic State," Lavrov said.
Comment: See also:
Iran under attack: 'ISIS' claims responsibilityUpdates: Unlike other recent attacks claimed by ISIS (e.g., in the UK and Philippines), this time they actually
released video implying they were actually involved. The video contains footage allegedly filmed by one of the attackers from within the Iranian parliament, and was accompanied by the following message: "Praise God. Do you think that we will leave? We will survive, with the permission of God.
ISIS will stay here until doomsday."
This follows weeks of increasingly anti-Iranian rhetoric from ISIS. Funny that ISIS and Trump have opted to take the same propaganda line...
Iranian security services
defused an explosive device near the Khomeini shrine and revealed that the suicide bomber at that location was a female. Another outlet reported a
second suicide bombing at the shrine, but this was reported as
false by officials. Later reports say the 4 parliament attackers were dressed
as women, so the shrine bomber may have been wearing a disguise.
All lawmakers and staff managed to leave parliament
unharmed, but the attacks have left 12 killed and 43 wounded
so far. Iranian lawmakers were seemingly
unperturbed, staying calm and taking selfies while the gun battle took place in the building. Iranians aren't weak, that's for sure.
In one video from inside the chamber, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani dismissed the attacks, saying they were a "minor matter" and that security forces were dealing with them.
"As you know, some coward terrorists infiltrated a building in [parliament], but they were seriously confronted," Larijani said. "This is a minor issue but reveals that the terrorists pursue troublemaking."
While initial reports said 2 were arrested, the latest reports say all 4 attackers were
killed. As for the shrine attack, officials say one attacker wearing a suicide vest was
shot by police and another was detained (presumably the third is the one who blew himself or herself up).
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have
accused Saudi Arabia of being behind the attack:
"This terrorist attack happened only a week after the meeting between the US president [Donald Trump] and the [Saudi] backward leaders who support terrorists. The fact that Daesh has claimed responsibility proves that they were involved in the brutal attack," a statement read as quoted by Reuters.
They also pledged
retaliation.
Update (June 8): Fars News Agency released CCTV footage of the parliament attack:
Iranian officials have
confirmed that the attackers were linked to ISIS, and had spent time in Mosul and Raqqa:
"Five of the arrested terrorists earlier left Iran and conducted terrorist activity in Raqqa and Mosul. Last year, they returned to the country under the leadership of the commander, Abu Aish, to carry out terrorist attacks in the holy places of Iran," a statement by the Iranian Security Ministry obtained by Sputnik said.
"The [Iranian] security services eliminated Abu Aish, else, left Iran in fear. Then, part of them returned and committed yesterday's attacks."
Moreover, a woman rom southern regions of Iran who had supposedly helped terrorists was detained. "She helped others, sent them to their missions after the start of the attacks, a member of the Iranian committee of national security of the parliament told Mehr news agency.
Comment: See also: Iran under attack: 'ISIS' claims responsibility
Updates: Unlike other recent attacks claimed by ISIS (e.g., in the UK and Philippines), this time they actually released video implying they were actually involved. The video contains footage allegedly filmed by one of the attackers from within the Iranian parliament, and was accompanied by the following message: "Praise God. Do you think that we will leave? We will survive, with the permission of God. ISIS will stay here until doomsday."
This follows weeks of increasingly anti-Iranian rhetoric from ISIS. Funny that ISIS and Trump have opted to take the same propaganda line...
Iranian security services defused an explosive device near the Khomeini shrine and revealed that the suicide bomber at that location was a female. Another outlet reported a second suicide bombing at the shrine, but this was reported as false by officials. Later reports say the 4 parliament attackers were dressed as women, so the shrine bomber may have been wearing a disguise.
All lawmakers and staff managed to leave parliament unharmed, but the attacks have left 12 killed and 43 wounded so far. Iranian lawmakers were seemingly unperturbed, staying calm and taking selfies while the gun battle took place in the building. Iranians aren't weak, that's for sure.
While initial reports said 2 were arrested, the latest reports say all 4 attackers were killed. As for the shrine attack, officials say one attacker wearing a suicide vest was shot by police and another was detained (presumably the third is the one who blew himself or herself up).
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have accused Saudi Arabia of being behind the attack: They also pledged retaliation.
Update (June 8): Fars News Agency released CCTV footage of the parliament attack:
Iranian officials have confirmed that the attackers were linked to ISIS, and had spent time in Mosul and Raqqa: