Gunfire, blasts in western Iran amid Mahsa Amini protests

The sound of apparent gunshots and explosions echoed early through the streets of a western Iranian city, one of the hot spots of protests over the death of a 22-year-old woman.
At least one man reportedly was killed by security forces in a village nearby.
The incidents come as demonstrations rage on in cities, towns and villages across Iran over the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police in Tehran.
Iran’s government insists Amini was not mistreated, but her family says her body showed bruises and other signs of beating.
Subsequent videos have shown security forces beating and shoving female protesters, including women who have torn off their mandatory headscarf, or hijab.
From Tehran and elsewhere, online videos have emerged despite authorities disrupting the internet. Videos showed some women marching through the streets without headscarves, while others confronted authorities and lit fires in the street as the protests continue into a fourth week. The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the 2009 Green Movement protests.