Anniversary of the death of General Soleimani - State media report at least 103 dead in explosions in Iran
On the anniversary of the death of the powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani, at least 103 people were killed in two explosions in his home town of Kerman. After more than 20 people were initially reported to have been killed, the number has continued to rise according to state media. As the state news agency Irna reported on Wednesday, more than 190 people were also injured.
Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi spoke of a crime and announced a decisive response. "Of course, the security authorities, the military and law enforcement agencies will respond quickly and forcefully," Wahidi told state television. "Our police forces are vigilant and will bring those who committed this crime to justice."
Explosions in Iran at memorial service for General Soleimani
The two explosions rocked Kerman, where Soleimani's tomb is located in a mosque, ten minutes apart, the Iranian news agency Isna reported, citing the mayor of the southern city. A crowd of people was caught up in the detonations. Wahidi explained that most of the people were killed in the second explosion. The exact causes were being investigated.
According to the semi-state news agency Nournews, "several gas canisters exploded on the road to the cemetery". The Iranian news agency Tasnim, on the other hand, reported that two bags of explosives had exploded on site. The perpetrators "apparently detonated the bombs by remote control", Tasnim reported. In a video published on X by the Iranian news agency SNN, people flee the suspected explosion site, with smoke rising in the background. Other eyewitness videos show injured people.
#BREAKING
Two explosions occurred on the road leading to ‘Gulzar Shahadai Kerman’ (the graveyard where General Qassem Soleimani is burried), several wounded and at least 20 killed pic.twitter.com/Tv7OeVBite
— SNN (@snntv_en) January 3, 2024
During a live broadcast by a state television reporter, rescuers could be seen rushing to a hospital with injured people in the background. Images from the attack sites showed blood-covered sidewalks, damaged vehicles and shredded clothing.
A local official was quoted in the media as saying that these were "terrorist attacks". Initially, no group claimed responsibility for the alleged attack. Terrorist attacks on this scale are extremely rare in Iran.
Donald Trump ordered drone attack in which Soleimani died
On Wednesday, Iran commemorated the fourth anniversary of the death of Soleimani, who was killed by the US military in Iraq on January 3, 2020. Soleimani was killed in a drone attack near Baghdad ordered by then US President Donald Trump.
The general commanded the Al-Quds Brigades, the branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards responsible for foreign missions, and was considered a hero of the Iran-Iraq war in his home country. Trump said at the time that he had ordered the drone attack in response to a series of attacks on US bases 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.
Editor's note: This article will be updated on an ongoing basis.
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In the aftermath of the explosions in Kerman, Iran, where General Soleimani's tomb is located, officials from Iran's Interior Ministry, such as Minister Ahmad Wahidi, have expressed outrage and announced a swift and severe response to the crime. The explosions, which occurred at a memorial service for Soleimani, were reportedly caused by several gas canisters explosions on the road to the cemetery or two bags of explosives detonated on site, according to different sources.
Source: www.stern.de
