Iran: Police officer shot dead in Iranshahr

The Information Centre of the Police Command of Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran has announced a shooting targeting a police officer in the city of Iranshahr, carried out by unknown assailants. 

According to Iranian outlet SNN, the officer succumbed to his injuries. 

Law enforcement authorities are currently conducting operations to identify and apprehend the perpetrator or perpetrators of the crime.  

This incident coincides with the current protests, which erupted on December 28 and continue on January 7. Protests are ongoing due to economic collapse, including national currency depreciation and inflation.

Demonstrations began in the capital, Tehran, on December 28 and have since spread to over 257 locations in 27 of Iran's 31 provinces, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Protests began with a strike by shopkeepers and merchants in Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar, sparked by the sharp decline of the Iranian rial (exceeding 40% inflation) and plummeting purchasing power.

According to Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) and its media project HRANA, at least 35 people have been killed over nine days of protests, while more than 1,200 participants have been arrested. Among the dead are 29 protesters, four children, and two members of the security forces, rights activists say.

By Khagan Isayev