One of Iran's top nuclear scientists who was assassinated, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was shot by a remote-controlled machine gun operating out of another car, according to officials who work at Fars News Agency, CNN reported.
According to reports by Fars News, Fakhrizadeh was traveling with his wife in a bulletproof car. He was accompanied by three security personnel vehicles when he heard something similar to the sound of bullets hitting a vehicle.
The scientist then got out of his car to see what had happened. This is when a remote-controlled machine gun opened fire from a Nissan stopped about 150 meters from Fakhrizadeh's car.
Fakhrizadeh was hit at least three times, the Fars News report said. His bodyguard was also shot. Shortly after the gunfire, the Nissan car erupted into flames, according to the agency.
Moneycontrol could not independently verify this report.
This was also reported by the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) which said that Fakhrizadeh's car was hit by gunfire, followed by an explosion and more gunfire.
However, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, a state television outlet, said that the explosion happened first, followed by gunfire from attackers.
ISNA cited Iranian Defence Minister Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami as its source.
"Based on reports received from members of his security detail, Fakhrizadeh's vehicle was initially targeted by gunfire, after which a Nissan vehicle laden with explosives was set off in close proximity to them as gunfire, targeting their vehicle, was continuing," Hatami told ISNA.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and others have promised revenge for the Friday killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. The assassination of Fakhrizadeh was compared to that of Qasem Soleimani, by Seyed Kamal Kharrazi who serves as the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, according to reports by Islamic Republic News Agency which is state-run, the report said.
Soleimani, who was the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq early this year.
