In a rare incident of its kind for Iran, a man shoots his family and neighbors dead in a Tehran suburb, injuring several others.

The middle-aged man, identified only as Mohammad, first killed his wife and two children, then went on the roof of his house and started shooting at neighbors and passers by in the suburb of Quds, about 20 km (12 miles) west of Tehran, Tabnak reported on Monday.

Before the shooting came to a stop, the man had killed four more and injured five people, in the process firing an incredible 800 rounds.

The special units of the police force were called to the scene, and he was arrested after running out of ammunition for his Kalashnikov automatic assault rifle.

In Iran, civilians are not allowed to keep automatic rifles, and it is not clear how the assailant had gained access to this weapon, although some reports have described the man as a known ruffian.

ZAP/HGH