Gunmen kill five at Iranian bazaar

State media reported Wednesday that gunmen opened fire at a bazaar in the southwestern Iranian city of Izeh. A young girl was among the dead, and another ten people, including civilians and security forces, were wounded, State TV reported. The motive for the attack wasn’t immediately clear.

Could it have been connected to the protests? Nationwide protests have gripped the nation in recent weeks, inspired by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman who died in police custody in September. Shops at a historic bazaar in Tehran shut down Tuesday amid the protests. Violent clashes have erupted between protesters and security forces, but Iran blames several attacks on separatists and religious extremists. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a shooting last month at a Shiite shrine where over a dozen people were killed.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about the Islamic State shooting last month.