Iran official admits more than 5,000 killed during protests; monitor group receives reports of 13,000

Defending the regime’s bloody crackdown, the official blamed “terrorists and armed operatives” for being responsible for killing “innocent Iranians.”

By World Israel News Staff

An Iranian official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed over the weekend that at least 5,000 people have died in the ongoing anti-regime protests across Iran, adding that hundreds of security personnel were among the dead.

The official told Reuters that some 500 members of pro-regime forces, including the Basij militia, have been killed, and accused Israel and foreign-backed armed groups in Iran of instigating the violence.

Defending the regime’s bloody crackdown, the official blamed “terrorists and armed operatives” for being responsible for killing “innocent Iranians.”

The source claimed that many of the casualties occurred in Kurdish-majority areas in northwestern Iran and involved separatist groups.

The official added that the death toll “is not expected to rise sharply,” despite reports from multiple sources that more than 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown earlier this month.

Estimates provided by the pro-opposition Iran International put the total number of protesters killed at no fewer than 12,000, while sources in Iran claimed the number was likely closer to 20,000.

A network of Iranian healthcare providers said the death toll is likely between 16,500 and 18,000.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Activists News Agency – a Washington, D.C.-based group with ties to activists in Iran – said that it has received reports of 12,868 deaths during the protests thus far, including both protesters and pro-regime security personnel.

Of those, it has confirmed the identities of 3,919 people killed, including 3,685 protesters, 31 other civilians and 178 members of pro-regime forces.

More than 2,100 cases of people being severely injured were also confirmed, with 24,669 protesters arrested as of Sunday.

The HRANA said it had documented a total of 145 cases of forced confessions by arrested protesters being broadcast.