Opponents of mullah Jalaleddin Taheri, the Friday prayers leader of Isfahan, hurled stones, sticks and shoes to the speaker's podium to protest his speech, reports from Isfahan say.
One of Taheri's body guards fired shots in the air. In response, an opponent of Taheri also began shooting from among the crowd. The clash began around noon and lasted until 3 p.m. and the supporters of the rival factions severely beat up one another.
The clerical regime's leaders' confession to the role of the Intelligence Ministry in the murder of dissidents and writers in recent weeks has aggravated the conflicts between rival factions. They have attacked one another in the Majlis and in the press, accusing the other side of involvement in the murders. This is the first time, however, that these conflicts lead to a shooting clash.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
January 16, 1999
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