ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Gunmen attacked a main Shiite holy site in Fars province’s Shiraz in southwestern Iran on Sunday, killing at least one and wounding several others, reported Iranian state media.
The attack occurred at around 7:30pm, when two gunmen opened fire after being confronted by the security forces at the gates of the holy Shah Cheragh mosque, according to Iranian state media (IRNA).
It was initially reported that two people had been killed in the attack, but that number was later revised down to one. There are also conflicting reports on the number of those wounded, but it is estimated to be at least seven.
Government officials in the city have said that there is a possibility for the death toll to increase in the coming hours due to the severity of some of the injuries.
“So far, one person has been killed and eight others have been injured in this incident, all of whom have been transferred to medical centers and are undergoing treatment,” IRNA cited Fars Deputy Governor Esmail Ghezel Sofla as saying.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency said that one of the attackers had been arrested while the other was able to escape and “is on the run.”
No parties have claimed responsibility for the attack as of the time of this writing.
The Shah Cheragh mosque was also the site of another attack in October of last year, when a gunmen opened fire on worshippers at the holy Shiite shrine, killing at least 13 people. Shortly after, the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack.
