An Iranian official said that according to data confirmed by the authorities, at least 5,000 people have been killed during protests in the country, including about 500 security forces, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA. The official blamed "terrorists and armed rebels" for the killing of "innocent Iranians".
The official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, also said that some of the heaviest clashes and the highest number of casualties were recorded in the Kurdish regions of northwestern Iran.
"The final death toll is not expected to increase significantly," the official said, adding that "Israel and armed groups abroad" had supported and armed the protesters. Iranian authorities have regularly blamed foreign countries, including Israel, for the unrest, Reuters noted.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported yesterday that the death toll had reached 3,308, with another 4,382 cases under investigation. The organization also said it had confirmed over 24,000 arrests.
The Norwegian-based Iranian Kurdish human rights organization "Hengau" said some of the most severe clashes during the protests that erupted in late December were in Kurdish areas in the northwest of the country.