TEHRAN – Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri on Wednesday warned of enemy plots to blame the government for the deaths in recent riots, most of which, he said, occurred in “suspicious” circumstances.

General Baqeri emphasized that in the riots which stared on December 28 and lasted for a week, none of the security forces carried combat weapons to deal with the demonstrators, Tasnim reported.

He also said that most of the deaths are suspicious, as those killed have been shot from behind and the shootings have taken place in unknown areas. 

About 21 people were killed in the riots.

MH/PA