Iran attack: Shiraz shrine shooting leaves at least one dead

The Shah Cheragh mausoleum was also attacked last year, with 13 people killed

One person was killed and eight wounded in a "terrorist" attack at a Shia Muslim shrine in the Iranian city of Shiraz on Sunday, state media reported.

The official Irna news agency said a gunman attempted to enter the Shah Cheragh mausoleum and opened fire on visitors before he could be subdued.

In October, 13 people were killed in an attack on Shah Cheragh that was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.

No group immediately claimed the latest attack.

State media originally reported that two attackers were involved and that four people were killed, but later said there was a lone attacker and that one person was killed.

Yadollah Bouali, the regional Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, told state TV that "a terrorist entered the gate of the shrine and opened fire with a battle rifle".

The semi-official Fars news agency meanwhile said that the gunman had tried to enter from the Bab al-Mahdi door but was met with "resistance" from "protection forces".

Witnesses told Fars that a gunman began to shoot indiscriminately after being confronted.

Tasnim, another semi-official news agency, said that at least seven people were wounded and shops in the area were closed. State TV said the surrounding area was cordoned off by security forces.

Pictures from Tasnim showed bullet holes in what appeared to be barred windows at the entrance to the shrine, which is one of Iran's most important pilgrimage sites.

The mausoleum includes the tombs of two sons of the seventh Shia Imam Musa al-Kadhim, who are also the brothers of the eighth Imam Ali al-Rida.

Last month, Iran executed two people alleged to have helped carry out the October attack. The main perpetrator, identified as an Afghan national in his 30s named Hamed Badakhshan, was killed at the scene in the attack.

Three other defendants were sentenced to prison for up to 25 years for their membership of IS.

The Sunni jihadist group has claimed previous attacks in Iran, including the deadly twin bombings in 2017 that targeted the country's parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.