Iranian opposition leader's car hit by gunfire

Mehdi KarroubiTehran, Jan 8 : The car of one of Iran's opposition leaders, Mehdi Karroubi, was hit by gunfire but the cleric was unharmed, opposition websites reported Friday.

Karroubi is believed to have attended a mourning ceremony Friday in the city of Qazvin, west of the capital Tehran, when some 500 government supporters attacked the ceremony. The pro-government protesters were believed to have been armed.

Police eventually succeeded to move Karroubi, a former speaker of parliament, from the venue but when the cleric's car was leaving the area, it was hit by gunfire.

As the car was armoured, Karroubi himself was not harmed, the websites reported.

The reports by the opposition websites have not yet been officially confirmed.

Karroubi, leader of the opposition Etemad Melli party, is an opponent of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and has accused him of fraud in June's presidential election.(DPA)