JEDDAH: 

JEDDAH: Iranian authorities have arrested several unidentified top-tier football players who attended a mixed party east of Tehran, local media reported on Sunday.

The country’s Tasnim News Agency said: “Several current and former players of one of Tehran’s prominent football clubs were arrested at a mixed party in the city of Damavand.

“Some of these players were in an abnormal state due to alcohol consumption.”

The Young Journalists Club news agency said that the gathering was a birthday party, and added that all those detained had been released except one person, who is not a footballer.

Fars News Agency cited a prosecutor as saying a case had been filed against those who had been detained, and details would be released later.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian Football Federation.

The regime has been rocked by unrest since the death in custody on Sept. 16 of Mahsa Amini, 22, following her arrest for an alleged breach of the strict dress code for women.

Iranian officials say hundreds of people have been killed in the unrest, including members of the security forces, while thousands have been arrested.

A number of current and former footballers as well as other athletes and prominent figures have been detained or questioned by the authorities after voicing support for the protesters.

State media reported on Sunday that a member of Iran’s security forces had been shot dead during protests in the city of Semirom, more than 100 days after Amini’s death sparked nationwide unrest.

“A Basij member was killed in the city of Semirom by armed criminals,” IRNA reported, referring to the paramilitary force linked to the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

IRNA said protesters had gathered late on Saturday in the city, which is about 470 km south of Tehran in Isfahan Province.

They had gathered in front of the regional administration building and other locations in Semirom, it added.

“Security forces were deployed to establish order in the city and, in some cases, clashes occurred with several rioters,” the report said.

Meanwhile, Iran has military-tested new attack drones in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz as part of its ongoing annual drill.

State TV said that the Ababil-5 attack drone was used during war games for the first time, and successfully hit its target with a bomb after traveling 400 km. Iran has tested many other military drones over the past decade.