At least 2,000 people have been killed in the ongoing protests in Iran, an Iranian official acknowledged on Tuesday.
Speaking to Reuters, the official said the deaths include not just protesters but also security personnel. The official requested anonymity while revealing the figures. This is the first time that Iranian authorities acknowledged the massive casualty in the country.
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However, another publication, Iran International in a statement released by its Editorial Board claimed that at least 12,000 Iranians have died so far in the violence. The statement was titled, "The killing of 12,000 Iranians will not be buried in silence." Most of these victims were aged under 30.
The outlet's statement claimed that most of these killings took place on January 8 and 9 and were carried out mainly by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij. "In terms of geographic scope, intensity of violence, and the number of deaths in a short time span, this killing is unprecedented in Iran’s history," the reports said. "This killing was fully organized, not the result of 'sporadic' and 'unplanned' clashes."
The editorial board of the outlet said their findings were based on a source close to the Supreme National Security Council, two sources in the presidential office, several sources within the IRGC in Mashhad, Kermanshah and Isfahan, accounts from witnesses and victims' families, medical centre data, and other testimonies.
Citing sources from the Supreme National Security Council and the presidential office, Iran International reported that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave a direct order for the killings. It was approved by the head of all three branches of the Islamic regime.