Sounds of heavy gunfire, blasts and relentless shooting reverberated across the western Iranian city of Sanandaj on Tuesday, witnesses confirmed to Al-Monitor. Security forces were heavily deployed there to crush dissent in the Kurdish city.

Riot police backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Basij militia have maintained a large presence in Sanandaj since protests were ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody last month. As the rallies became nationwide anti-government demonstrations, Sanandaj saw some of the worst violence, particularly on Saturday, when government forces killed at least four protesters on the streets, according to a tally by the opposition rights organization Hengaw.

Videos shared on social media showed security forces in running battles against young protesters in narrow alleyways of Sanandaj. It was not immediately clear how many protesters have been killed in the latest round of violence, but activists confirmed that a seven-year-old child had been shot dead.

More footage showed gunfire into residential neighborhoods. Witnesses shared videos showing the impact points of what was said to be armor-piercing 50-calibre bullets as well as gas canisters on walls inside private properties.