Attack on a shrine in Iran, 15 people are killed

At least 15 people have been killed and 40 others injured in an attack on a Shia religious shrine in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz.

The report said the attack, which took place at the Shah Cheragh Temple early Wednesday evening, was carried out by three armed men who entered the shrine.

Two of the attackers have been captured, while one is still on the run.

It is unclear who is behind the attack, but it is said the attackers acted as “Takfiri terrorists”, referring to groups such as ISIL (ISIS).

It is reported that the attackers were not Iranian citizens.

Shiraz is a popular pilgrimage and tourism destination, and the last such attack in the city was in April 2008, when a bomb planted in a mosque killed 14 people.

The attack comes as Iran continues to grapple with protests since the September death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who died after being arrested by the country’s morality police for wearing an “indecent hijab”.

Wednesday marked 40 days since Amini died and saw thousands of people gather in Amini’s hometown in northwest Iran.