TEHRAN Clashes between a group of people and the police in Khorramabad, Lorestan Province on Sunday night resulted in the martyrdom of one policeman, IRNA reported.
The city has been the scene of political violence over the past few days between supporters and opponents of a student group called the office to foster unity.
The rioters killed a policeman and wounded some others and caused damages to some banks, a municipality kiosk and some shops.
Reza Abdollahi, in charge of political and Law Enforcement Forces in Lorestan Governor General's office blamed opportunists' for the unrest and stressed that no political group was involved.
He said some of the rioters have been arrested.
In a related story, Ali Tajernia, a member of the national security and foreign policy commission in Majlis (Parliament), told IRNA that he will ask the Majlis to launch investigation into Khorramabad incidents.
He said he would put forward a formal request to the presiding board of Majlis this week.
Tajernia who represents people of Mashhad in Majlis said, "Unfortunately, the incident which was unimportant at the beginning, got worse due to some interventions and mishandling of the issue and that Majlis should investigate its root cause." In another development a group of university students, belonging to a student grouping called the office to foster unity, were attacked in Boroujerd, on their way back from Khorramabad to Tehran.
The assailants threw stones and bricks to the buses carrying the students.
Some of the students, both male and female, were wounded in the incident.
The police had to intervene in order to put an end to the attack.
An official in Boroujerd Governor's Office confirmed the incident and said the attack was organized. He expressed regret about the incident and added such events damage the city's reputation.
The office to foster unity held a gathering in Khorramabad last week which resulted in some clashes between the supporters and opponents of the group.
The group was forced to call of its gathering on Sunday, two days before the scheduled date for ending the conference.
Meanwhile, a Majlis (Parliament) deputy representing this southwestern city deplored recent, violent clashes here and blamed "identified irresponsible rioters" for the incidents.
In a statement which he issued, Seyed Issa Moussavi-Nejad said: "These incidents dealt a heavy blow to the sentiments of the hospitable people of Khorramabad." The statement further deplored the act of preventing two intellectual figures from addressing students attending the 7th annual conference of the pro-reform Office for Consolidation of Unity (OCU) as well as the beating of students and an official, adding that the "repugnant and barbaric" acts prompted a response on Saturday on the part of those aggrieved.
The conference ended on Sunday evening before the planed date.
Days of protest erupted into clashes after prominent figures Dr. Abdolkarim Soroush and Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Kadivar were blocked from boarding a vehicle from the provincial airport that was to bring them to the conference site.
"The spread of reprisal showed which view the majority of people uphold and how wisely they reacted to the un-Islamic and inhumane behavior against the OCU organizers," the statement further read.
Stressing the fact that "the reformist-dominated Majlis and President Mohammad Khatami's government pursue the policy of detente," it called on Khorrammabadis to refrain from holding any rally and unwise reaction to be exploited by agitators.
The daily Kayhan reported on Sunday that dozens of people were injured in the violent clashes and rioters smashed up banks and police cars, started fires and attacked government buildings the day before.
The daily Hayat-e No also said that vigilantes attacked a minibus full of activists, smashed windows with stones and pummelled 14 students.
Meanwhile, Iran's biggest caucus, the pro-reform Islamic Iran Participation Party (IIPP), Sunday issued a statement on the recent events in Khorramabad, condemning the acts of violence committed by elements of certain pressure groups.
It said that the events indicated that, contrary to what opponents of reforms claim, the administration of President Mohammad Khatami lacks the adequate means to carry out its duty of providing security or implementing its other responsibilities.