Iranian soldier shoots and kills 3 policemen

Reports from Iran have not elaborated on a motive or the rank of the policemen

A handout picture made available by the presidential office shows Iranian soldiers during the annual military parade marking the Iraqi invasion in 1980, in Tehran, Iran, 22 September 2019. EPA

Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency is reporting that a soldier has shot three policemen to death in the country's south.

The Saturday report said the incident took place at a police station near the port city of Bandar Lengeh, some 1,000 kilometers , or 620 miles, south of the capital Tehran. It said the soldier was immediately arrested.

The report did not elaborate on a motive or the rank of the policemen saying only that the case is under investigation.

Such incidents are reported by Iranian media occasionally. In 2016 a soldier killed himself after shooting to death three of his comrades in southern Iran.

Experts blame incidents on anger over the mandatory 2-year military service for men aged 19 and above.