Several Wounded in Armed Attack on Iranian Parliament

TEHRAN -An unknown male assailant fired several rounds at the guards protecting the parliament building in Tehran, wounding seven in the hallway on Wednesday morning, while later reports indicated an armed terrorist attack by several assailants.

According to initial reports, the assailant opened his way into the parliament building while shooting at the guards, leading to the injury of one of the IRGC guards and six civilians, Fars News reported.

The six civilians were reportedly citizens from different constituencies who had come to visit their deputies.

The male assailant escaped the building, but a ranking member of the parliament told FNA that he was captured as he was on the run.

Senior member of the parliament’s Presiding Board Akbar Ranjbarzadeh said that the assailant was arrested at the parliament’s hallway.

Meantime, Elyas Hazrati, a senior MP, said that three assailants attacked the parliament, carrying 2 Kalashnikov rifles and a handgun.

Contradictory reports are coming from the parliament as one of the deputies said the assailants were three and have been trapped in the offices of the deputies.

“Clashes still continue at the parliament building,” he said.

A number of legislators said that the parliament guard who had been wounded by the assailants was martyred.

Ranjbarzadeh added that the assailants were four and 8 people were wounded in the attack.

Reporters outside the parliament said that the guards are dispersing people but the sound of shooting is still heard from inside the parliament’s building.

Meantime, several assailants raided the holy shrine of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, South of the capital Tehran on Wednesday morning, killing one and wounding two people in a bomb attack and a shooting spree.

ISIL has claimed responsibility for both attacks.

M.Wassouf