News / Politics

MP escapes assassination attempt in western Iran

Sunday, 10 July 2016 1:11 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 10 July 2016 4:41 PM ]

A file photo of Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the representative of Eslamabad-e Gharb County at the Iranian parliament

An Iranian lawmaker has survived an assassination attempt in the western province of Kermanshah, a fellow MP says.

The vehicle carrying Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the representative of the county of Eslamabad-e Gharb, came under an attack by four terrorists as he was travelling to the village of Rijab on Sunday, Farhad Tajarri, an MP from the western Iranian city of Gilan Gharb, told IRNA.

Blood and a bullet hole is seen on the door of the vehicle carrying Iranian MP that came under a terrorist attack in the western province of Kermanshah. (IRIB photo)

He added that the governor of Dalahou county and the director general of the fisheries of Kermanshah, also passengers of the vehicle, sustained injuries while the driver and head of the Veterinary Department of Dalahou county lost their lives in the shooting.

The lawmaker said Falahatpisheh escaped the attack unhurt, adding that local security and judicial officials are investigating the assault.

Broken glass is seen on the seat of the vehicle carrying Iranian MP that came under a terrorist attack in the western province of Kermanshah. (IRIB photo)

Tajarri said the terrorists fled the scene after torching the vehicle with which they had conducted the attack.

Terrorist groups backed by Iran's enemies have been carrying out acts of terror mostly in border areas during recent months to scuttle the country’s security.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said in June that Iranian troops had killed five terrorists in an ambush in the country’s northwest near the border with Turkey. In its statement, the IRGC added that those killed were all members of PJAK, an offshoot of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and added that their “five-member band” was decimated near the Iranian city of Sardasht..

The IRGC's Ground Force Commander, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, also said in June that the Iranian forces engaged in clashes with two terrorist groups in the country’s northwest near the border with Iraq and killed a number of terrorists. He added that the two groups were trying to infiltrate into Iran through the Oshnavieh border area to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks.

In February, Iranian border guards arrested 10 members of terrorist groups who were attempting to infiltrate into the country through eastern and western borders. Terrorist attacks are rare in Iran, but al-Qaeda-linked and other groups stage hit-and-run assaults from time to time.

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