The death toll from a missile strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran has risen to 165, state media reported on Sunday. The bombing in Minab also wounded 96 others, according to IRNA news agency, which cited a local prosecutor.
The attack, which occurred on Saturday, is believed to be the worst single incident of civilian harm in the ongoing US-Israeli-led bombing campaign against Iran. Verified video and photographs show the partially collapsed building, rubble-strewn streets, and rescue workers digging through debris. Screams are heard in the background, and schoolbags and textbooks are visible among the wreckage.
US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins acknowledged reports of civilian harm and said the US is looking into them. The school building is reportedly adjacent to a barracks of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Iran’s health ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour described the bombing as “the most bitter news” of the conflict. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai condemned the attack, stating: “They were girls who went to school to learn, with hopes and dreams for their future. Today, their lives were brutally cut short.” She called for justice and accountability.
Restrictions on international reporting in Iran have prevented independent verification of the death toll. The Guardian and other media outlets have been unable to access the site in Minab.
