icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
17 Oct, 2015 08:01

2 killed in drive-by shooting at Shiite ceremony in Iran

2 killed in drive-by shooting at Shiite ceremony in Iran

A gun attack on a Shiite religious ceremony in Iran has left two people dead and two others injured on Friday night.

The incident happened in the city of Dezful in the south-western province of Khuzestan, where a group of believers were commemorating Ashura festival. A car approached the groups and opened fire at around 22:30 local time (19:00 GMT), the Fars news agency reported, citing an eyewitness.

Ashura is a 10-day festival of mourning for the Shiite leader Hussein, who was killed by his Sunni rival in the 7th century, shortly after the schism in Islam.

READ MORE: ISIS attack on Shiite meeting hall in Saudi Arabia leaves 5 dead (VIDEO)

A similar attack took place in Saudi Arabia on Friday, where a gunman killed five Shiite worshipers before being shot dead by police. The Sunni terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) claimed responsibility.

No group immediately owned up to carrying out the attack in Iran. Tehran is a major ally of the Syrian government, which is fighting various terrorist and rebel groups, including IS.

Podcasts
0:00
27:33
0:00
28:1