Shooting at Shiite shrine in Iran leaves one dead, eight others wounded

People attending the Shah Cheragh shrine in southern Iran were attacked Sunday night when a gunman opened fire, killing one and leaving eight others wounded.

Authorities did not immediately provide a motive for the shooting, though Iran has previously had assaults from Sunni Muslim extremists who belong to the Islamic State group.

Another deadly shooting, which took place at the same shrine in October, was carried out by the Islamic State and left 13 people dead and at a dozen others wounded.

A lone gunman was allegedly responsible for Sunday’s attack and is already in police custody, according to Mohammad Hadi Imanieh, the governor of the southwestern Fars province.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the shooting. In the aftermath, the premises of the Shah Cheragh shrine were cordoned off by security personnel.

Ambulances rushed the wounded to local medical facilities while government officials joined security forces in overseeing the situation.

The Shah Cheragh is one of the most popular Shiite shrines, attracting travelers to the southern city of Shiraz.

The deadliest attack from the Islamic State on Iran occurred in in June 2017, when gunmen charged Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The attack left 18 dead and over 50 injured in Tehran, and responsibility was later claimed by the Islamist terrorist group ISIS.

With News Wire Services