Three policemen shot dead in Iranian province bordering Iraq
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran said three policemen were shot dead early Thursday in a terrorist attack in its southwestern Khuzestan province, which borders Iraq.
Local media reports quoted Colonel Rahman Mousavi, a provincial deputy police chief, as saying that unknown gunmen had opened fire on the officers in the city of Hamidiye.
He added that authorities were combing the area to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
The oil-rich Khuzestan province borders Iraq, where Iran admits to involvement in the war against ISIS.
However, Shiite Iran has come under increasing criticism by the US and regional countries – led by Sunni Saudi Arabia – for expanding influence in Iraq and the region.
Protecting Khuzestan, Iran’s oil hub, remains a key pillar of Iran’s policy in Iraq.
Local media reports quoted Colonel Rahman Mousavi, a provincial deputy police chief, as saying that unknown gunmen had opened fire on the officers in the city of Hamidiye.
He added that authorities were combing the area to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
The oil-rich Khuzestan province borders Iraq, where Iran admits to involvement in the war against ISIS.
However, Shiite Iran has come under increasing criticism by the US and regional countries – led by Sunni Saudi Arabia – for expanding influence in Iraq and the region.
Protecting Khuzestan, Iran’s oil hub, remains a key pillar of Iran’s policy in Iraq.