Hijab row: `About 26 people dead from protests,` says Iranian state TV

New Delhi: The death toll from protests over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody has risen to more than two dozen, according to Iranian state television, without providing any additional information as the unrest continues. On Thursday, an anchor on Iran's state television suggested that the death toll from the mass protests could be as high as 26, but he did not elaborate or explain how he arrived at that figure.

“Unfortunately, 26 people and police officers present at the scene of these events lost their lives,” the state TV anchor also said that the official statistics would be released later. According to The Associated Press, clashes between Iranian security forces and protesters have killed at least 11 people since the violence erupted over the weekend.

The Iranian protests began as an emotional outpouring in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained by the country's morality police for allegedly violating the country's strictly enforced dress code. The police claim she died of a heart attack and was not mistreated, but her family disputes that claim.

This week state-run media in Iran has reported hundreds of people protesting in at least 13 cities including the capital, which is Tehran. The Iranian authorities restricted binternet access and blocked access to social media sites and applications like WhatsApp and Instagram. After the Friday prayer, people in Tehran and other cities planned to hold a counter protest rally.

(With Agencies Inputs)