Iranian forces further intensified their violent crackdown on protesters in western Iran on Monday, with footage from multiple cities showing volleys of automatic gunfire targeting civilians.
Protesters could be seen running for cover while automatic gunfire could be heard in the background in footage from Javanrud and Piranshahr.
The intensified crackdown reportedly resulted in a high number of casualties among protesters in western Iran, with footage from multiple cities showing bloodied bodies in the street.
An eyewitness testimony from Javanrud published by the 1500tasvir account read: “Six people were shot in front of my eyes. We hid several wounded people and they were bleeding profusely. The number of people killed is too high, I don’t know, it’s too high.”
"Six people were shot in front of my eyes. We hid several wounded people and they were bleeding profusely. The number of people killed is too high, I don't know, it's too high."
Eyewitness testimony
According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, more than 200 young Iranians were arrested by regime forces in Mahabad and Bukan on Sunday night. Their whereabouts and condition are unknown.
At least 419 Iranian protesters have been killed since the protests began more than nine weeks ago in mid-September, according to the Iran Human Rights organization. Protests have spread to more than 155 cities and 140 universities.
Despite the intensified crackdown, large groups of protesters gathered in Mahabad, Sanandaj, Javanrud, Piranshahr, Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and Ilam, among other cities.
On Monday evening, mobile Internet access was cut in much of western Iran and in other cities across the country, according to opposition-affiliated accounts.
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As England’s team defeated Iran’s national team at the FIFA World Cup on Monday, video from Tehran showed soccer fans cheering as England scored.
The Iranian national team sparked outrage in the streets last week for meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi before departing for Qatar, although the team did not sing the country’s national anthem at the match.
IDF Intelligence chief says Iran protests 'civil disobedience'
The protests in Iran are “the most unusual in their mix of duration and intensity,” OC IDF Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aharon Haliva said Monday at the INSS conference, adding that he believes they have become “civil disobedience.”
According to the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei likely issued an unpublished directive recently to violently suppress the protests.
The rhetoric of the regime against the protesters has also intensified over the past few days.