Memorial service for General - Around 100 dead after attack on anniversary of Iranian general's death
On the anniversary of the death of the powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani, around 100 people were killed in two explosions in his home town of Kerman. A further 211 people were injured, state media reported. Iran's government called it a terrorist attack. It was the deadliest attack in the 45-year history of the Islamic Republic. The government ordered national mourning on Thursday.
The background to the explosions was initially unclear. Initially, no group claimed responsibility for the alleged attack. Iran's government spoke of a terrorist attack. The German government and the EU's foreign service condemned the attack as an act of terrorism.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said that the US government had no independent information on the possible background to the explosions. "It's too early for us, at least, to say what the cause might be," said Matthew Miller in Washington on Wednesday.
Terrorist attacks on this scale are extremely rare in Iran. According to media reports, the condition of many of the injured was critical. There was great concern that the number of victims could rise even further. Iran's Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi set off to personally supervise the care of the injured.
Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi announced a decisive response. "Our police forces are vigilant and will bring those who committed this crime to justice," the minister said. Wahidi said that most of the people were killed in the second explosion. The exact circumstances are being investigated. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack in the strongest terms - those responsible must be held accountable.
Kerman is the home of Ghassem Soleimani, the former commander of the foreign units of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). The USA killed him in a drone attack in Iraq on January 3, 2020. Soleimani is revered as a martyr by government supporters loyal to the system. At his funeral, there was mass panic with more than 50 dead. Propaganda pictures of the general are also emblazoned on the walls of buildings in the capital Tehran.
A bang and screams - television broadcast the procession
Crowds of people made a pilgrimage through the streets of Kermani to his grave to mark the anniversary of Soleimani's death. The provincial capital is located in the Iranian province of the same name, surrounded by vast desert areas. The explosions are said to have occurred just a few hundred meters away. In a clip broadcast live on state television, a bang and screams could be heard. The videos showed panic breaking out and people fleeing the scene of the explosions.
Reporters from the state agency Irna spoke of a "horrific sound of an explosion". During a live broadcast by a state television reporter, rescuers could be seen rushing to a hospital with injured people in the background. Pictures of the attack sites showed blood-covered sidewalks, damaged vehicles and shredded clothing. Security forces cordoned off the pilgrimage site. Hospitals were put on alert.
More than a year ago, the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shiite shrine in the cultural metropolis of Shiraz. More than a dozen people were killed in the attack in October 2022.
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Source: www.stern.de
