Army deserter kills six in Tehran rampage

28 November 1998

TEHRAN, Iran - An Iranian army deserter stole a gun, hijacked a van and shot to death six people, including three policemen, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Saturday.

The soldier, identified as Siavosh Rahmani-Aqdam, fled after the shootings on Thursday in southern Tehran, and police have mounted a manhunt, IRNA said.

Describing Rahmani-Aqdam as a "deserter and a known hooligan," IRNA said he hijacked a van at gun point minutes after stealing a gun. IRNA did not say where he stole the gun from.

Later, in an "act of mania," the soldier shot dead six people and wounded several others, some of them critically, IRNA said.

Iranian serviceman kills 14 in Tehran rampage

28 November 1998

TEHRAN, Nov 28 - A runaway Iranian air force serviceman shot dead 14 people in the capital Tehran on Saturday before he was gunned down by police, the official IRNA news agency reported.

It said Siavosh Rahmani Aqdam, who had fled his barracks several days ago with a gun and large amount of ammunition, opened fire indiscriminately in a Tehran street killing 14 people, including three policemen, and wounding 11 others.

Describing Rahmani-Aqdam as a "deserter and a known hooligan,"  IRNA said he hijacked a van at gun point minutes after stealing a gun.

"(He) was eventually shot dead by police in the wake of a hunt for his arrest in a southern suburb of Tehran," IRNA reported.

It said no motive was immediately known for the rampage.

Fugitive soldier kills 14

29 November 1998

Tehran - An armed fugitive soldier, on Thursday killed 14 people, including three law enforcement personnel and wounded 11 bystanders, some of whom are reportedly in critical condition. He was later killed in a shootout with the police, IRNA said.

The spokesman for the Greater Tehran Law Enforcement Office, Colonel Moqaddam, said Friday night that the soldier escaped after gunning down the law enforcement officers and several onlookers in the southern part of the capital.

"The soldier went on a firing ram-page after he ran into a motorcyclist with his van which was soon found to be a stolen vehicle," he said.

"After the accident, he attempted to escape but was stopped by the law enforcement personnel and passers-by. He immediately pulled out a weapon and started firing indiscriminately at the police and people," the officer went on to say. After a preliminary investigation, the soldier was identified as Siavash Rahmani-Aqdam who had deserted from the army.

Daily condemns recent gruesome murders

1 December 1998

Tehran, -- The English daily `kayhan international' Tuesday condemned the recent killings of eight persons by a mad army deserter and stressed that while need for more order and discipline has always been present, the gruesome murders make it all the more urgent to transform law enforcement into a powerful force which can exude strength and vitality.

The police force of the country must have special task force handling such persons, pointed out the editorial adding that there should be psychologists and specialists who can negotiate over the phone or loudspeaker with such kind of persons.

"Professionalism and use of state-of-the-art technology could have minimized the number of deaths in Iran's first mass murder. we need to be reminded that if our policemen were able to use infra-red guns or reconnaissance equipment, they would have been able to track down the assassin at night."

Although more discipline has been witnessed in the police force since law enforcement chief brigadier Hedayat Lotfiyan was appointed last year, there is still more room for improving discipline, more training and more professional approach to the job of ensuring law and order, pointed out the daily.