AP

Death toll in Iran stabbing attack at holy shrine rises to 2

Apr 6, 2022, 7:43 PM | Updated: Apr 7, 2022, 7:44 am

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The death toll from a stabbing attack at the most revered Shiite shrine in Iran rose to two on Thursday after another cleric succumbed to his wounds, Iran’s state TV reported.

The victim, identified only by his last name, Daraei, died at a hospital in the holy northeastern city of Mashhad, after being stabbed at the city’s Imam Reza shrine on Tuesday.

The man was one of three clerics stabbed at the shrine, a rare act of violence at the major pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims. One cleric died almost instantly; his funeral was held on Thursday. The third cleric remains in hospital.

The police have not offered a motive for the stabbing. The country’s interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, described it on Thursday as a “terrorist attack” and vowed Iran would pursue the perpetrators and all “takfiris,” a term used for Sunni extremists who consider other Muslims infidels.

Police have not identified the assailant or the four others they arrested on charges of collaboration. But Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency identified the attacker as an Uzbek national named Abdollatif Moradi. It said he had entered the country illegally through Pakistan a year ago.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

22 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

22 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

22 hours ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

Death toll in Iran stabbing attack at holy shrine rises to 2