Iranian media outlet Tasnim has reported that the perpetrator of the attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine in Iran was trained by ISIS in Afghanistan for three months.
The attack took place on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of two people and the injury of seven others.
The attacker, a Tajikistani citizen named Rahmatullah Nowrozov, initially communicated with an ISIS contact through social media and became a member of the group in Turkey. He then traveled to Afghanistan, where he was trained by ISIS for nearly three months before entering Iran.
The Taliban in Afghanistan has repeatedly denied the presence of ISIS in the country, claiming that the group has been suppressed. However, Tasnim reports that the Iranian security apparatus is investigating the possibility of a wider ISIS network operating in Iran.
Iranian officials have not yet commented on the cause of the attack. According to Iranian media reports, 11 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, some of whom are foreign citizens.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
The Shah Cheragh shrine is one of the most important holy sites in Shia Islam. It was hit by a similar attack in October 2022, when a gunman opened fire on visitors, killing 13 people and injuring 40 others. Islamic State (ISIS) affiliates took responsibility for the attack.
