TEHRAN – 15 pilgrims were martyred and 30 others wounded late on Wednesday in a terrorist attack targeting a holy shrine in the south-central Iranian city of Shiraz.

According to witnesses, three armed terrorists broke into the Shah-e Cheragh shrine precinct and opened fires at the pilgrims.

Two of the Takfiri assailants were arrested and a big manhunt for the third is underway, security forces said. However, Fars Province's police chief said there was only one attacker.

Nour News, a news outlet close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the assailants were foreign nationals. 

The attack took place at the Maghrib prayer time.

The United Nations condemned the terrorist attack.

President Ebrahim Raisi said the "evil" act will "not go unpunished". 

According to Reuters, the terrorist group Islamic State (Daesh) said it carried out the attack on the Shiite Muslim shrine in Iran on Wednesday.