Jan 18 (Reuters) – An Iranian official said on Sunday that authorities have verified that at least 5,000 people have been killed in protests in Iran, including around 500 security officers, blaming ‘terrorists and armed rioters’ for the deaths of ‘innocent Iranians’.
The official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, also told Reuters that some of the most intense clashes and the highest number of deaths have occurred in the Kurdish areas of northwestern Iran, a region where separatists have been active.
“The final death toll is not expected to increase much,” the official said, adding that “Israel and armed groups abroad” supported and equipped those who took to the streets.
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Iranian authorities regularly blame foreign enemies for the unrest, including Israel, an archenemy of the Islamic Republic that launched military attacks against Iran in June.
US-based human rights group HRANA said on Saturday the death toll had reached 3,308, with another 4,382 cases under review. The group said it has confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.
The Iranian Kurdish rights group Hengaw, based in Norway, said some of the heaviest clashes during the protests that erupted in late December occurred in Kurdish areas in the northwest.
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