Tehran: Gunmen and suicide bombers stormed Iran`s Parliament and the shrine of its revolutionary leader on Wednesday, killing 12 people in the first attacks in the country claimed by the Islamic State group.
Dozens of people were wounded in the attacks, which ended after a standoff lasting several hours as the gunmen holed up in parliamentary office buildings.
IS released a video of the attackers from inside the building via its Amaq propaganda agency -- a rare claim of responsibility while an attack was still going on.
Police said all the attackers had been killed by around 3 pm (1030 GMT), some five hours after it started.
Here are the UPDATES:
- An Interior Ministry official said the attackers were dressed as women and entered into Parliament complex through the visitors` entrance.
- Police said all the attackers had been killed by around 3 pm (1030 GMT), some five hours after it started.
- Iran's Intelligence Ministry said there had been a third "terrorist" team that was neutralised before the attacks started.
- "The two martyrdom operatives blew themselves up inside the Khomeini mausoleum in the centre of Tehran," the "security source" added.
- "Fighters from the Islamic State attacked the Khomeini mausoleum and the Parliament building in Tehran," the the Amaq propaganda agency said citing a "security source"
- Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack at Iranian Parliament and Khomeini's shrine: Amaq agency
- One of the attackers on Iran`s Parliament complex blows himself up on the fourth floor amid an ongoing siege, state broadcaster IRIB reports.
- A second suicide bomber detonates explosives outside the shrine of Iran's revolutionary founder Ruhollah Khomeini in south Tehran, state broadcaster IRIB reported.
- The attackers killed seven people and wounded several others, says Tasmin news agency.
- Tehran is on lockdown, with streets blocked and the metro closed, and journalists kept away from the shrine by police.
- Interior Minister Abdolrahman Fazli tells ISNA he had convened a special meeting of the country's security council.
- It was not clear who could be behind the attacks in Iran. The Islamic State had published a rare video in Persian in March, warning that it "will conquer Iran and restore it to the Sunni Muslim nation as it was before."
- Lawmaker Tayebeh Siavoshi tells Efe that the situation was very confusing and sensitive, and denied preliminary information that everything was under control.
- Meanwhile, Tehran municipality tweets about a hike in public transportation fare while Iran security forces are containing terror attacks.
- The state TV report did not provide further details, or say whether the shooting was linked to another attack on the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. There, four attackers, including a suicide bomber, killed a security guard and wounded four other people.
- News agency Tasnim reports that four persons had been taken hostage by gunmen in the Parliament building`s upper floors.
- Iran’s state TV says four attackers were involved in a Parliament shooting that is still underway, and that eight people have been wounded.
- No Indian harmed in attacks: Indian envoy to Iran Saurabh Kumar
- One attacker of Iran Parliament has been arrested, reports state news agency IRNA.
- Two people have been killed in the twin attacks in Iran. A security guard was killed when gunmen burst into Tehran`s Parliament complex, while a gardener was killed when armed assailants entered the grounds of Khomeini`s mausoleum in the south of the city, the ISNA news agency reported.
- Press TV reports that bomber in shrine was reportedly a woman. She blew up herself outside the shrine on western yard.
First photo of suicide explosion's aftermath at Imam Khomeini Mausoleum #TehranShooting pic.twitter.com/8wjUjMZW8t
— Press TV (@PressTV) June 7, 2017
- One of the Mausoleum attackers has reportedly killed himself by swallowing cyanide, reports Press TV.
People gather outside Iran Parliament in central Tehran after the shooting incident #tehranshooting pic.twitter.com/OGZ90zchZS
— Press TV (@PressTV) June 7, 2017
- Mehr news agency reports that despite the attack, Parliament session is going on normally, broadcast live on national radio.
- Shi'ite Iran has been singled out as a target by Sunni jihadists, including the Islamic State group, but has largely escaped attacks within its urban centres. Iran provides key ground forces against IS and other rebel groups in Syria and Iraq.
- ISNA reported that the shooters had been surrounded but had yet to be arrested.
- There were conflicting reports from inside the Parliament complex, with some reports saying the situation had been brought under control while others said the shooting was continuing, with the buildings under lockdown.
- The mausoleum is in southern Tehran, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Parliament building.
The moment of explosion at Imam Khomeini mausoleum #TehranShooting pic.twitter.com/cVQtgqteYr
— Press TV (@PressTV) June 7, 2017
- An armed man had entered at the western entrance of the mausoleum and opened fire before blowing himself up with a suicide vest, the site`s head of public relations Ali Khalili told the IRNA news agency.
- The ILNA news agency said five people had been injured and that security forces were dismantling a bomb inside the mausoleum.
Security forces rushing to #ImamKhomeini mausoleum shortly after shooting incident#TehranShooting pic.twitter.com/qi9Ub1G8nA
— Press TV (@PressTV) June 7, 2017
- State TV said one of the attackers was killed by security guards and that a woman was arrested following today's attack.
- Iran’s state TV news website says four “terrorists,” including a suicide bomber, have attacked the shrine in Tehran, killing a security guard and wounding four people.
- An apparently coordinated attack took place at the mausoleum of Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, several news agencies said.
- As per news agencies ISNA and Fars, three people had been shot after the gunmen entered via the north entrance, including at least one security guard.
First video emerges of the aftermath of Iran Parliament shooting incident#IranParliament pic.twitter.com/04WTu9PrnV
— Press TV (@PressTV) June 7, 2017
- A Member of Parliament told state broadcaster IRIB that there were four gunmen inside the parliamentary complex in central Tehran, armed with rifles and a pistol.
