TEHRAN: Four people were wounded by gunfire in an Iranian town on Friday in a shooting between rival factions during the second round of parliamentary elections, a security official told local media.

Millions have been voting in the elections for 68 seats — almost a quarter of the 290-seat parliament.

The shooting happened in Mamassani, in the southern province of Fars, where a conservative candidate is competing against a reformist for a single parliament seat. A search is under way for the gunmen.

“Some people have shot bullets in this town without any specific targets, “the interior minister’s deputy for security Hossein Zolfaghari told reporters, according to ISNA.

Zolfaghari said the shooting was a “reaction of the supporters of the candidates”, without giving further details.

“Safety is restored in the city now and the security forces continue looking for the identified shooters.”

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016