Knife assault on Iran clerics leads to the death of one, injures two others

In Iran's northeastern shrine city of Mashhad, an attack on Tuesday led to the death of an Iranian Muslim cleric and the injury of two others, one of which is critical.

"A man stabbed three Shiite clerics with knives, killing one and wounding two others," said Yaghoub-Ali Nazari, the governor of Khorasan Razavi province, adding the attacker has been detained by security forces.

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Amateur video footage captured the scene of a man lying in a pool of blood in the courtyard of a Shia shrine in Mashhad, northeastern Khorasan Province.

The two men "were stabbed with a knife in the courtyard," said the statement by the Imam Reza Shrine where the attack took place.

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As per state-run IRIB TV, "no details are available about the health situation of the two clerics".

"The identity of the assailant is under investigation," said the Astan Quds Razavi charitable foundation which manages the shrine.

"With the vigilance of the pilgrims and the efforts of security forces, the assailant was immediately arrested and handed over to the police, and the injured were quickly taken to the hospital."

The attack occurred two days after the beginning of Ramadan in Iran, a country with 83 million people, 90 per cent of whom are Shia muslims.

(With inputs from agencies)