Mashhad: A former acting deputy governor for political and security affairs in Iran's Semnan province was killed Friday evening in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Iranian media reported Saturday. The semiofficial Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, stated that Farajollah Shooshtari was killed during unrest in the city, describing the incident as an 'assassination' carried out by armed individuals.

According to Anadolu Agency, Shooshtari was previously involved in social and cultural activities in Mashhad. Tasnim reported that Shooshtari was the son of Nourali Shooshtari, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander who lost his life in a suicide bombing in 2009 in southeastern Iran.

Iranian authorities have not yet released an official statement on the news, which comes amidst ongoing widespread protests across the country for the past two weeks.