Al Arabiya, 21 February 2018 – Iranian sources reported on Tuesday the death of three Gonabadi Sufis in the hospital hours after being shot in clashes with Iranian security forces north of the capital Tehran.

The site “Zaytoun” reported that the Iranian police forces have transferred three Gonabadi Sufis on Monday evening to the hospital in Tehran and were reported dead on Tuesday night as their injuries were fatal.

Monday evening witnessed intense clashes between protesters and the security forces in the Iranian capital Tehran, which lasted until Tuesday morning, leading to the arrest of hundreds of protesters.

The Sufi protests began after the arrest of a person named Nematollah Riahi about two weeks ago during violence in northern Tehran, where the Sufis gathered outside the house of their guide, “Nurallah Tabenda”, following reports that the security forces intend to arrest him.

This occured although Tehran police chief Hussein Rahimi announced that “There is no intention to go after the Gonabadi Sufis in Tehran.”

In the last two decades, Gonabadi Sufis have been subjected to security pursuits throughout Iran, with several arrested and facing charges.