Gunmen attack bazaar in Iran, killing 5, says state media

Gunmen open fire in a bazaar in the southwestern Iranian city of Izeh, killing at least five people and wounding civilians and security forces, state TV reports.

It was not immediately clear what motivated the attack or if it was linked to the nationwide protests that have convulsed Iran over the past two months. Another 10 people, including security forces, are wounded in the shooting, according to state TV.

State TV says that groups of several dozens of protesters had gathered in different parts of Izeh today, chanting anti-government slogans and hurling rocks at police, who fired tear gas to disperse them.

Violent clashes have erupted around some of the protests as security forces have clamped down on dissent. Iran has also seen a number of recent attacks blamed on separatists and Islamic extremists, including a shooting at a major Shiite shrine last month that killed more than a dozen people.