Sunni jihadists 'killed in morning firefight' with Iranian police

Iranian police say security forces have killed three armed Sunni militants in a firefight in the country's west.

The report, posted on the official police website, says the firefight took place on Tuesday morning in a neighbourhood in the city of Kermanshah, which is located about 500 kilometers, or 310 miles, southwest of the capital, Tehran.

It says police confiscated a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a suicide vest at the site of the clash.

The report didn't identify the militants, though it called them "takfiris," a derogatory term in both Arabic and Farsi referring to extremist Sunni Muslims – such as members of Islamic State [IS]– who accuse other Muslims of being infidels.

Earlier this month Iran executed 20 convicted members of Sunni militant groups.

The suspects had been accused of conducting a series of attacks against civilians and religious leaders in Iran's western Kurdish region, according to state media.

They were responsible for the deaths of 21 people that were killed in 24 armed attacks, including bombings and robberies between 2009 and 2011, officials said at the time.