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Introduction: Integrons are mobile genetic elements able to acquire and integrate the antibiotic resistance gene cassettes and play an important role in the development of the drug resistant. This study assessed the contribution of class 1 integron in drug resistant diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains, in children under 5 years. Materials and methods: 164 diarrheagenic E. coli strains isolated from children under 5 were evaluated to investigate intI1 gene and gene cassette. Furthermore the antibiotic resistance was determined using CLSI critria. Results: The rate of intI1 gene and gene cassette in Escherichia coli isolates were 70.73 % and 64.63 %, respectively. In these samples, gene cassette sizes varied from 750 to 2000 bp. There was a significant correlation between the presence of class 1 integron and resistance to streptomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, amikacin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, nalidixic acid and cotrimoxazole. Discussion and conclusion: The present study elucidates that the rampancy of class 1 integron and the incorporated gene cassettes is quite high among diarrheagenic E. coli in our area of research. Hence, considering the prospect of widespread break out of the drug-resistant strains of E.coli, further molecular analysis in different regions of the country is essential.