EXCLUSIVE: Iranian MP speaks to Rudaw on parliament attack

Azad Muhammadiyani, an MP and head of the United Kurdish Front speaks to Rudaw of today's attack on the parliament building and shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Three of the gunmen are said to have positioned themselves inside some chambers of the parliament from where they are shooting.

Their intention must have been to enter the main parliament hall and carry out their goal.

From what I was told one of the gunmen is said to be a suicide bomber.

Gunmen also attacked the shrine of Imam Khomeini where they wounded a number of people. One of them was a suicide bomber who blew himself up.

It is not confirmed yet but they say an ISIS branch has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In recent days on the anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s death the shrine was very crowded and perhaps these gunmen have wanted to send a message that they can carry out such an attack in a place like that.

And the parliament is the place of legislation and passing laws and therefore the gunmen may have wanted to send this message too.

ISIS has always wanted to sneak into Iran and the intelligence ministry has been reporting in the past three years how they have been foiling ISIS plans inside the country.