Prime News Ghana

Iran deadly protests: 9 more killed, hundreds arrested

By Maame Aba Afful
Six protesters died in what was described as an apparent attempt to seize guns from a police station.
Shares
facebook sharing button Share
twitter sharing button Tweet
email sharing button Email
sharethis sharing button Share

Nine more people have been killed overnight as clashes between protesters and security forces continue in Iran for the sixth day, state media report.

The latest violence, in the central Isfahan region, brought the number of reported deaths to at least 22.

Six protesters died in what was described as an apparent attempt to seize guns from a police station.

Elsewhere, a boy aged 11 and a man were reported killed in clashes along with a member of the Revolutionary Guards.

The protests in cities across Iran are the largest since the disputed 2009 presidential election.

They began last Thursday in the city of Mashhad, initially against price rises and corruption, but have since spread amid wider anti-government sentiment.

Hundreds of people have been arrested.

President Hassan Rouhani said protests were an "opportunity, not a threat", but vowed to crack down on "lawbreakers".

The US has stepped up support for the protesters' "bold resistance".

State TV reported that six rioters were killed during an attack on a police station in the town of Qahderijan in the central province of Isfahan. It said clashes were sparked by rioters who had tried to steal guns from the police station.

Another one of the dead is said to have been a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, killed in nearby Kahrizsang.

State TV also said an 11-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man were killed in the town of Khomeinishahr.

Earlier, state media reported shots had been fired at police in Najafabad, near Isfahan, killing one officer and wounding three.

Credit: BBC

www.primenewsghana.com