Hostage-taking in an Ilam office leaves four dead
On Wednesday, May 19, the official IRNA news agency reported a deadly hostage-taking incident in an office in Ilam.
As reported in this news, a former employee of the Property and Real Estate Organization belonging to the Mostazafan Foundation has taken hostages at the organization's premises.
At least four people were killed and several others were injured in the incident in the city of Ilam in western Iran, which is said to have now ended.
An hour after the news was published, the IRNA news agency quoted the Ilam police commander as saying that the attacker's motive for taking hostages was a "personal disagreement with the organization's managers."
The number of injured people is reported to be five.
It is said that the hostage-taker was a former member of the group who had been fired.
An hour later, Delawar Al-Qasi Mehr, the Ilam police commander, introduced the attacker as "one of the department's forces."
He said: "An hour ago, one of the forces from the Ilam provincial government offices attempted to take hostages in this complex."
The Ilam police official further confirmed that the attacker committed suicide: "In this incident, in which a number of people were injured, the hostage-taker killed three employees of this department and then committed suicide himself."
No official news has yet been released about the identity of the hostage-taker.
Security forces and NOPO (special forces) are present at the scene and are not allowing anyone to pass.
Source: Radio Farda
