At least 8 people were killed and more than 65 were injured when a bomb exploded during an address by a cleric in the "Shohada" mosque on Saturday, Iranian news agency Fars reported. The mosque is located in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz.
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"The death toll is expected to rise above eight because some of the injured are in critical condition," Fars said, without providing a source. Earlier Saturday the Iranian press reported an explosion in central Iran and refrained from disclosing anything further. No indication was given as to who might be behind the attack.
Fars said the bomb exploded at 7:30 pm in a Baha'ian mosque, where the faith's low-level clerics gather every Saturday. The Baha'i faith has been outlawed in many Muslim countries, and in Iran its followers have been persecuted for many years.
The Baha'i Faith was founded in 1862. It emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are about six million Baha'is in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. According to Baha'i teachings, its religious history has unfolded through a series of God's messengers who brought teachings suited for the capacity of the people at the time, and whose fundamental purpose is the same.
Iran has suffered from isolated bombings in recent years, largely in the south. Some 65 men were arrested in February and accused of being behind a bombing that killed members of the elite Revolutionary Guard in a southeastern border province, the ISNA news agency said.
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