ISIS kills 15 at Iran shrine

Slaughter in wake of protests

At least 15 people were killed and more than three dozen wounded when an Islamic State terrorist attacked a Shiite Muslim shrine in Iran.

The massacre Wednesday escalated tensions as anti-government protests rocked the nation following the death of a Kurdish woman while in the custody of Iran’s “morality police.”

ISIS later took credit for the slaughter of religious pilgrims at the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz, a Muslim site that dates back to the 12th century.

An attacker shot a worker at the shrine’s entrance before his weapon jammed and he was chased by worshipers, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The terrorist then fixed his Kalashnikov rifle as he ran from the crowd and began firing at them in a courtyard, the report said.

The apparent lone-wolf attacker was wounded and taken into custody by security officials. Earlier reports said police were seeking two additional suspects.

Women and two children were among the dead, according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA. The suspect had opened fire into the women’s section of the shrine during a call for prayer, a witness told state media agency Press TV.

“I heard sounds of gunfire after we prayed,” a victim said. “We went to a room next to the shrine, this lowlife came and fired a barrage of shots. Then [the bullet] hit my arm and leg, it hit my wife’s back, but thank God my child was not hit, he is 7 years old.”

President Ebrahim Raisi told state media Iran would respond to the terror attack.

“Experience shows that Iran’s enemies, after failing to create a split in the nation’s united ranks, take revenge through violence and terror,” said Raisi, before ISIS took responsibility.

“This crime will definitely not go unanswered, and the security and lawenforcement forces will teach a lesson to those who designed and carried out the attack.”

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi blamed widespread protests marking the 40th day since the police-custody death of Mahsa Amini for helping spark the slaughter.

The terror attack in Shiraz came on the same day riot police opened fire on some 10,000 mourners who were holding a vigil at Amini’s grave in her hometown, according to the semi-official news agency ISNA.