Iran unrest: Nine more killed in overnight clashes

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Nine more people were killed in overnight clashes in the Isfahan region of central Iran, bringing the death toll to 21 as nationwide unrest enters the sixth day, the state broadcaster reported on Tuesday.

Among the nine deceased, six protesters were killed in clashes with security forces as they attempted to storm a police station in the town of Qahderijan, which has a population of around 30,000.

In nearby Kahriz Sang, a member of the Revolutionary Guards and a passerby were also killed.

Earlier reports also confirmed that one Iranian police officer was killed in Najafabad after being shot by a protester with a hunting rifle, the first reported fatality among security forces trying to reign in those demonstrations.

Hundreds of people have also been arrested since the unrest erupted on Thursday.

"200 people were arrested on Saturday, 150 people on Sunday and around 100 people on Monday," Ali Asghar Naserbakht, deputy governor of Tehran province, was quoted as saying by local news agency ILNA on Tuesday.

(With input from AFP)