The local Azerbaijanis were favored by the state and dominated the town politically and socially, which added to the ethnic violence in the town. Kurdish separatism and the political demands by Kurds were a source of concern for the Azerbaijanis, fearing the loss of influence in the region. In April 1979, after the Iranian Revolution, the two ethnic groups clashed in the town and about 100 to 300 people were killed. The reason for the clashes was the relatively liberal political atmosphere in the country which pushed the Kurds to openly aspire for self-governance. The new government furthermore recruited local Shia Azerbaijanis to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps which went on to massacre the Kurds of nearby Qarna, Qalat and Egriqash.