(Ansa) Fear in Tehran with Parliament and Khomeini's mausoleum under attack. Four men opened fire today, Wednesday morning, in the Iranian Parliament building wounding at least eight people including two civilians and killing twelve people including a guard. The three armed men who broke into the building this morning allegedly took four hostages. The men carried Kalashnikovs and Colt weapons. This was reported to the Irna news agency by a parliamentarian, Qolam-Ali Jafarzadeh Imenabadi, adding that, in addition to the killed guard, two others were injured. The attack was claimed by IS.
Gunshots were heard near the monument dedicated to Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran where four terrorists allegedly went into action, including a suicide bomber. One person was killed in the explosion triggered by the suicide bomber. Some sources also speak of a dozen injured. Fars also adds that in addition to the suicide bomber, another assailant was killed in a firefight, a second would have committed suicide by ingesting a cyanide capsule, and a third, a woman, would have been captured.
An explosion was heard in the Khomeini Mausoleum subway in Tehran: Iranian news agency Fars writes. The subway is located a stone's throw from the Mausoleum ed some media speculate it is a third attack.
According to Iranian news agency Tasnim, one of the attackers of the Iranian Parliament, the Majlis, managed to leave the building and is shooting in the street. According to the online journal Shargh, another would have barricaded himself in a room of the very large complex of Parliament and allegedly said he had an explosive belt.
The attack on Tehran occurs at a very particular moment in the Middle East in which 4 Arab countries - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the Emirates - have closed diplomatic relations and air and sea links with the qatar, accusing him of financing terrorism. The advance of Kurdish-Syrian troops on Raqqa meanwhile he is trying to conquer the capital of the Islamic state whose leaders are on the run.
(updated at 14pm)
