State media: At least 103 dead in explosions in Iran
An explosion in the Iranian city of Kerman kills dozens of people. State media also report that dozens are injured. The incident took place near the grave of General Soleimani, whose death is being commemorated for the fourth time today.
On the anniversary of the death of the powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani, there was at least one explosion in his hometown of Kerman mahe his grave, leaving dozens dead. Iranian state media speak of 103 fatalities. There were also 140 injured. There were also reports from Iranian media about a second explosion. The state agency Irna put the death toll at 70, citing the rescue service. Kerman's deputy governor spoke of a terrorist attack, as the state broadcaster Irib reported.
The background to the explosions was initially unclear. Initially, no group claimed responsibility for the suspected attack. Terrorist attacks on this scale are extremely rare in Iran. Reporters from the state news agency Irna reported the "horrific sound of an explosion".
According to the semi-state news agency Nournews, "several gas canisters exploded on the road to the cemetery". Kerman's deputy governor spoke of a terrorist attack, as the state broadcaster Irib reported. State television showed Red Crescent rescue workers treating the injured at the ceremony, where hundreds of Iranians had gathered to mark the anniversary of Soleimani's death. Pictures from the attack sites showed blood-strewn sidewalks, damaged vehicles and shredded clothing.
Speech by Hezbollah chief expected
Kerman in central Iran 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. This led to a dramatic escalation of tensions in the region and a retaliatory strike by the Iranian armed forces on a US base in Iraq. Soleimani is revered as a martyr by pro-government supporters. Propaganda pictures of the general are also emblazoned on the walls of buildings in the capital Tehran. Kerman is located in the Iranian province of the same name, surrounded by vast desert areas.
On Wednesday, too, crowds of people made a pilgrimage through the streets of the provincial capital to Soleimani's grave. 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 site of the explosions.
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.
To mark the anniversary of Soleimani's death, the Secretary General of the Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, plans to give a speech in the evening. Against the backdrop of the killing of a leader of the Islamist Hamas in Lebanon the day before, the speech is eagerly awaited. There are concerns that the violent death of Saleh al-Aruri, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, could lead to a further escalation of the conflict with Israel. Hezbollah, which is allied with Hamas and is considered the Islamic Republic's most important non-state ally, had announced its intention to retaliate.
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Amidst the commemoration of General Soleimani's death, a tragic incident occurred in his hometown of Kerman, Iran. A series of explosions near his grave resulted in the deaths of at least 103 people, as reported by Iranian state media.
In light of the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran, tensions remain high, particularly as the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is expected to deliver a speech commemorating the death of another prominent figure in the region.
Source: www.ntv.de
