
Iran is making all possible efforts to kill the anti-hijab protests in the country following Mahsa Amini's death, and for the same it has now deployed mounted police, according to videos posted online. Young women have been on the streets to protest Amini's death who lost her life after being held by the morality police for not wearing the hijab properly. Several people have lost their lives in the protests.
In a rare move, a posse of police on horseback in Tehran's streets can be seen in videos trying to stifle the demonstrations. The special unit on patrol is seen standing in front of a row of Iranian national flags on a major road in the northwestern neighbourhood of Sadeghiyeh.
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The mounted division of Iran's police force was created in 2013 and is known as Asvaran. It comprises Turkoman and Arabian horses, among others. The cavalry unit usually comes out only during parades and it isn't common for it to be deployed during protests.
Amini, an Iranian of Kurdish origin, died on September 16, three days after she was arrested, igniting nationwide protests. The Iranian authorities refer to them as riots and have tried multiple methods to quell the uprising. They have taken direct shots at the protesters using live ammunition, bird shot, tear gas and even paintballs.
Internet restrictions have been in place to stop people from gathering, with mass arrests also becoming a common thing. Norway-based group Iran Human Rights says the security forces have killed at least 186 people in the crackdown.
Several women have gone missing and turned up dead later with their families blaming the authorities for their deaths.
Meanwhile, hardline Iranian lawmakers have urged the country's judiciary to "deal decisively" with those behind the unrest and protests. "We ask the judiciary to deal decisively with the perpetrators of these crimes and with all those who assisted in the crimes and provoked rioters," said a statement of 227 lawmakers from Iran's 290-seat, hardline-led parliament, according to state media.
(With inputs from agencies)