Tehran: Three unidentified gunmen shot dead an Iranian Sunni cleric who formed part of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election campaign in western Kordestan province,
Iranian news agencies reported on Sunday.
Borhan Ali, who was one of the Friday prayer leaders in Sanandaj, Kordestan's capital, died in a hail of bullets at his home yesterday, the Mehr news agency said.
"This plot is probably linked with some Salafis (hardline Sunnis) and apostate groups. They have no place in society, so they commit such ugly acts," Sanandaj Governor Mohammad Taghi Heydari was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.
Fars said the gunmen had approached Ali's home "under the pretext of asking some religious questions."
Iran's western Kordestan province is mainly inhabitated by Sunni Kurds.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, September 13, 2009, 15:29