13 people arrested following clashes between police and villagers in Lorestan

The police commander of Selsele County in Lorestan Province announced the arrest of 13 people in connection with yesterday's clash between police forces and residents of a village in the Kahman region.

On Wednesday, May 28, videos of the Special Guard clashing with residents of the village of Kahman were published on social media.

In these videos, gunfire can be heard, and some local sources have reported that several residents of this village were injured in these clashes.

Askar Issaei, the police commander of Selsela, told IRNA on Thursday, May 29, that the clashes occurred due to "the implementation of the order to eradicate and remove the seizure of national lands in the region."

According to Mr. Issaei, 13 residents who were present in these clashes, in addition to a number of those who published images of these incidents, were arrested yesterday.

Meanwhile, according to ISNA, Younes Azadpour, the prosecutor of Selsele County, threatened on Thursday that "in accordance with the law, we will consider the severest punishment for those who have 'violated the norm'."

Mr. Azadpour also reported dealing with people who had illegally planted "unauthorized" trees in this area, and said that "without the need to file a case, we have permission to take action to liberate the sacred places."

On May 2nd of this year, the Selsela County Prosecutor announced the lifting of the seizure of part of the national lands of the Kahman tourist area, and this project was supposed to continue.

Mr. Azadpour had said: "Due to the negligence and negligence of the managers of some city departments in the past, some individuals had, without legal permission and while they were not considered owners, extensively cut down native tree species, including centuries-old willows and oaks, set fire to trees located in riverbeds, and planted walnut trees without permission."

Meanwhile, residents of the area and some local activists say that the cutting down of trees in some lands in the area by the Natural Resources Organization was the main reason for the start of yesterday's clashes.

Selsele County is one of the counties in Lorestan Province. According to the Natural Resources Department, the total area of ​​national resources in the county is 112,000 hectares, of which 58,000 hectares are allocated to forest resources and 53,000 hectares to pasture resources.

Source: Radio Farda