Up to 10 Iranians feared killed in flashpoint province

A 14-year-old said to be among the dead in Sistan and Baluchestan

Demonstrators chant slogans while marching during the "March of Solidarity for Iran" in Washington, DC. AFP

Rights groups fear up to 10 people, including children, were killed on Friday as protests rocked a flashpoint province in Iran's south-east.

Security forces opened fire on protesters in various places across Sistan and Baluchestan province, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. The region, home to the marginalised Baloch people, has seen some of the bloodiest violence since protests began more than six weeks ago over the death of Mahsa Amini.

More than 90 people were killed in a single day in September — referred to as Zahedan's Bloody Friday — after protesters gathered in the province's main city to condemn the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl by a local police chief.

Security forces on Friday afternoon began firing live ammunition from the rooftops of the governor's office and other official buildings in the city of Khash, according to Amnesty International.

Videos shared by protest groups showed plumes of smoke rising after protesters set fire to police stations in the province.

The rights group said it was "gravely concerned" there would be further bloodshed amid widespread internet blackouts and reports of additional security forces deployed to the province.

A 14-year-old was among the dead as authorities shot "with the intent to kill", said a Baloch activist group based in London.

Hospitals were overwhelmed with the number of injured, it added.

Footage on social media showed a slain protester who appeared to be in his 20s left on a blood-stained street before being whisked away by authorities. Another video, which could not be verified, showed security forces firing at young schoolboys as they ran away from authorities.

Others shared images of the bloodied corpses of teenagers and young men killed during the protests.

Iranians protest in Tehran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police in September. AP Photo

Protests have intensified despite a vicious government crackdown that has left as many as 200 people dead, although estimates of the toll by rights groups vary. AP Photo

At least eight members of the security forces have also been killed or wounded during the unrest and there are signs that violent resistance could be intensifying. AP Photo

A fire burns at the office of the governor of Mahabad, in the West Azerbaijan province of Iran. AFP

Protesters gather in the a courtyard of Chitgar complex in western Tehran. AFP

Iranian protesters continue to defy a deadly crackdown by security forces. AFP

A woman cuts her hair at the grave site of Nika Shahkarami in the city of Khorramabad, during a reported memorial held to mark 40 days since the death of the 16-year-old. AFP

A woman not wearing a headscarf stands on top of a vehicle as thousands make their way towards Saqez, Mahsa Amini's home town, to mark 40 days since her death in police custody. AFP

Iranian riot police prepare to confront protesters the capital, Tehran. AFP

Iranian protesters surge forward amid clashes with riot police in Tehran. AFP

A crowd blocks an intersection during a protest to mark 40 days since Amini's death in custody. AP Photo

Iranian police arrive to disperse a protest in Tehran. AP Photo

Protesters chant at a vigil for Amini at the Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology in Tehran. Reuters

Students at Sharif University of Technology attend a protest. AP Photo

Police outside Sharif University during a student protest. AP Photo

Students at the university protest over the death of Amini, who was in 'morality police' custody for allegedly breaking strict rules on head coverings for women. AP Photo

The students' banner says: 'No to mandatory hijab'. AP Photo

More than 200 people are estimated to have been killed by security forces since protests began, sparked by Amini's death in morality police custody. They quickly spread to every province in the country, with young and old calling for an end to the regime which was ruled since 1979.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basiji forces have led the ruthless crackdown on crowds and bystanders, with some of those killed shot while watching the protests from their homes.

Young protesters have circulated advice online to try and lessen their injuries, calling on others to place yoga mats and life vests under their clothing before taking to the streets. Doctors abroad have said they have received calls from injured protesters pleading for help from inside Iran, fearing arrest if they go to hospital.

A prominent cleric in Zahedan reportedly called on Friday for authorities to hold a referendum on the people's demands, while condemning the violence against protesters.

Molavi Abdolhamid, a top Sunni cleric and leader of Friday prayers in the city, said authorities "cannot beat back a nation" by "killing, beating and arresting".

Some religious leaders, particularly in minority areas, have been vocal in their support of protesters.

Footage shared by protesters in western Kurdish areas has shown mosques and their imams playing Kurdish revolutionary songs as demonstrators gathered in the streets last week.