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Iran Soldier Kills Five In Army Base

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

TEHRAN/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – An Iranian conscript opened fire inside an army base, killing at least five soldiers in Iran’s southeastern city of Kerman, where 94 people died in bombings earlier this month, Iranian and Israeli sources said.

Brigadier General Amir Gholamalian told Iranian media that on Sunday afternoon, “one of our soldiers, who was guarding the unit, entered the soldier’s infirmary and shot his comrades” before fleeing the scene.

Iranian state television said the shooting happened when the soldier arrived at a barracks dormitory and fired at resting soldiers.

The motive wasn’t immediately apparent, and the suspect, who wasn’t identified, was at large, officials said, without releasing more details.

The attack in Kerman, some 830 kilometers (515 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran, was the latest in a series of attacks.

It comes amid mounting Middle East tensions, including in Iran itself, as Kerman was rocked by two deadly blasts earlier this month that killed 94 people and wounded hundreds of others.

The January 3 explosions occurred as suicide bombers struck crowds near Kerman’s tomb of Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani, killing 94 and wounding hundreds.

The attacks came during an anniversary ceremony for the death of the Iranian general killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike in Iraq. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

Similar shootings at military bases have been occasionally reported in Iran. In 2022, a soldier killed another soldier and three police officers at a roadside police station in the country’s south.

Military service of up to 24 months is mandatory for men aged 19 and above in Iran, an Islamic nation that is currently involved in backing groups seeking Israel’s destruction.