TEHRAN An armed fugitive soldier, in a demented act Thursday killed six people, including three from the Law Enforcement Forces and wounded several bystanders, some of whom are reportedly in critical condition. The spokesman for the Greater Tehran Law Enforcement Forces Colonel Moqaddam said Friday night that the soldier escaped after gunning down the Law Enforcement Forces and several onlookers in the southern part of the capital.

The soldier went on a firing rampage after he ran into a travelling motorcyclist with his van which was soon discovered to be a stolen vehicle. After the accident he decided to escape but was stopped by the Law Enforcement Forces and the passersby. To free himself, he immediately pulled out his firearm and started firing indiscriminately at the police and the passersby, the colonel said.

After the preliminary investigation, the soldier was identified as Siavash Rahmani Aqdam who had defected the Army. The Law Enforcement Forces have launched a large-scale manhunt to arrest the killer. (IRNA)