Iran says more than 400 killed since start of conflict with Israel

TEHRAN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli attacks on Iran over the past nine days have killed over 400 Iranians and left 3,056 others wounded, Hossein Kermanpour, head of the Iranian Health Ministry's public relations, said on Saturday.

"Among the injured, 2,220 have been treated and discharged from Ministry of Health hospitals, while 232 received outpatient care at the scene of the attacks," Kermanpour said in a post on social media platform X.

According to the health official, the majority of the casualties have been civilians, with 54 women and children among those killed in the Israeli strikes.

As the conflict continues, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said earlier in the day that one of its rescue helicopters was damaged as a result of a "treacherous Israeli attack."

Israel launched a series of large-scale airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13, killing several top commanders and nuclear scientists. In response, Iran retaliated overnight with missile and drone strikes on Israeli territory.■