A gunman fatally shot two high-profile hard-line judges in Iran’s capital on Saturday in a rare attack targeting the judiciary, according to state media. Both judges were reportedly involved in the 1988 mass execution of dissidents, reports AP.

No organisation immediately claimed responsibility for the killings of clerics Mohammad Mogheiseh and Ali Razini. However, Razini’s alleged role in the 1988 executions has previously made him a target, including surviving an assassination attempt in 1999.

Iranian president arrives in Russia for partnership treaty signing

The attack occurred amid economic challenges in Iran, the growing impact of its regional conflicts with Israel, and the impending return of Donald Trump to the White House on Monday.

Both clerics were members of Iran’s Supreme Court, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. A bodyguard for one of the judges was also injured in the incident. The gunman reportedly took his own life, according to IRNA.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the individual involved did not have a case pending in the Supreme Court nor any connection to its branches,” the judiciary's Mizan news agency stated. “Investigations are underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for this terrorist act.”

Razini had previously been targeted in January 1999 when attackers on motorcycles threw an explosive device at his vehicle, injuring him as he left his office as the judiciary’s head in Tehran.

Both judges had been accused by activists and exiles of participating in the 1988 mass executions, which followed the conclusion of Iran’s war with Iraq. After Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini accepted a U.N.-mediated ceasefire, armed members of the opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), supported by Saddam Hussein, launched a surprise incursion across the Iranian border.

Iran denies plot to kill Trump, rejects U.S. assassination claims

Although Iran repelled the attack, it led to the establishment of so-called "death commissions," which carried out hasty retrials of political prisoners, militants, and others.

International rights groups estimate up to 5,000 executions, while MEK claims the number is closer to 30,000. Iran has never fully acknowledged these executions, allegedly ordered by Khomeini, though some suggest other officials wielded significant influence in the months preceding his 1989 death.

The MEK has not yet responded to requests for comment.