Iran Capital Terror Attacks – Seven People Were Killed

At least 12 people have died in twin attacks in Tehran on Wednesday, the head of Iran’s emergency department, Pir-Hossein Kolivand, was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the outrages, which took place in Iran’s parliament and the Ayatollah Khomeini shrine on Wednesday.

“Fighters from Islamic state attacked Khomeini’s shrine and the Iranian parliament in Tehran,” the group’s state news agency AMAQ said.

The assailants, who were dressed as women, entered parliament’s main gate and opened fire, said Iran’s deputy interior minister Mohammad Hossein Zolfaghari.

Four attacker were shot dead while another blew himself up in the legislative building.

Lawmaker Elias Hazrati said three assailants, one with a pistol and two with AK-47 assault rifles, raided parliament, according the state television website.

ISNA news agency quoted a member of the parliament as saying that all the parliament doors were shut and one of the assailants was surrounded by the security forces.

“I was inside the parliament when shooting happened. Everyone was shocked and scared. I saw two men shooting randomly,” said one journalist at the scene, who asked not to be named.

In a separate incident, one attacker detonated a suicide vest at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini in southern Tehran, one was killed by the security forces and the rest of the assailants were arrested, the Governor of Tehran was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB.

Both incidents took place simultaneously.

The identity and the motivation of the assailant was still unclear, Tasnim said. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini launched the Islamic revolution in 1979.

Iran’s intelligence ministry says the twin attacks were carried out by terrorist groups.