Iran unrest toll rivals 1979 revolution, say activists

At least 2,571 people have been killed in Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests, activists said. Internet shutdowns have hindered verification, while authorities have released no official figures, making the unrest one of Iran’s deadliest since 1979.

Dubai: The death toll from a crackdown on protests in Iran jumps to at least 2,571, activists said early Wednesday.

The figure came from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran in recent years.

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The activist group said 2,403 of the dead were protesters and 147 were government-affiliated. Twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said.

With the internet down in Iran, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

That death toll dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.