An Iranian Basij force member affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed late Wednesday into Thursday in western Iran, according to state television, four days after protests erupted in several Iranian cities over rising living costs.

State TV, citing Saeed Pourali, deputy governor of Lorestan province, said that “a 21-year-old Basij member in the city of Kuhdasht was killed overnight by rioters while defending public order.”

This marks the first officially announced fatality since the protests began on Sunday in Tehran and spread to other cities, with university students joining the demonstrations.

In previous protest movements, state media have described demonstrators as “rioters.”

Pourali said that “13 police officers and Basij members were injured by stone-throwing during protests in Kuhdasht.”

The city, home to about 90,000 residents, is located roughly 550 kilometers west of Tehran, where protests initially began on Sunday after merchants launched demonstrations against rising living costs and economic deterioration.

The protests quickly expanded, with students staging demonstrations Tuesday - at least 10 universities in Tehran and several other cities. Authorities reported that incidents occurred during some of the gatherings.