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Published on January 3, 2024
Updated January 3, 2024, 5:29 p.m. ET
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Nearly 100 people were killed Wednesday at an event honoring former Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in what local authorities and a senior White House official described as a “terrorist” attack.
Thousands of Iranians had gathered at Soleimani's gravesite in Kerman to mark the fourth anniversary of his death, carrying photos of the former head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, when authorities said two bombs exploded.
The first explosion occurred just 700 meters from Soleimani's grave, while the second occurred a kilometer away, Iranian national media reported.
Graphic video shared online The crowd was later seen running away as emergency workers arrived, with bodies lying on the ground.
The footage suggests the second explosion occurred about 15 minutes after the first – a tactic terrorist groups often use to target emergency responders and increase the death toll.
The two bombs were reportedly placed in suitcases and detonated remotely.
Explosions at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2020 killed at least 95 people and injured 211 others, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday. AP
“The explosions were caused by terrorist attacks,” a local official said. “Several gas canisters exploded on the road to the cemetery.”
A senior White House official said: “Just based on the Defense Department, it actually looks like a terrorist attack.” [It’s] We have seen something like this with ISIS in the past.”
The death toll from the explosions rose quickly on Wednesday morning. The head of Kerman's emergency services told state media that it was at 103 as of 10 a.m. EST.
But later in the day that number was revised to 95 when officials discovered there were repeated names on a list of victims, Iranian Health Minister Bahram Einollahi told state television.
However, the death toll could rise again as many of the at least 211 injured are in critical condition.
The explosions occurred on the fourth anniversary of the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani. IRAN PRESS/AFP via Getty Images Iran has several enemies that could be behind the attack, including exile groups, militant organizations and state actors. IRAN PRESS/AFP via Getty Images
After the apparent attack, Iranian justice chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said the perpetrators would be found and punished.
“The agents and perpetrators of this serious crime will undoubtedly be punished,” Mohseni-Ejei said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera.
“Responsible intelligence, security and law enforcement authorities are obliged to immediately prosecute all evidence and perpetrators and hand them over to justice.”
Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force. died in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. IRAQI MILITARY/AFP via Getty Images Footage suggested the second explosion occurred about 15 minutes after the first. MORE NEWS/AFP via Getty Images
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
But Iran could have multiple enemies behind it, including exile groups, militant organizations and state actors.
The country has provided financial support to Hamas as well as Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, all of whom are currently fighting Israel.
The explosions occurred near his gravesite in Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran. Anadolu via Getty Images People could be heard screaming in state television footage. via Portal
Israel has been accused in the past of carrying out drone strikes on Iranian military facilities, and Sunni terror groups such as ISIS have carried out bombings of civilian targets in the Shiite-majority nation.
Who was Soleimani?
Qassem Soleimani was considered a national hero among supporters of Iran's theocracy but was also seen as a threat to American interests after he helped armed terrorists with roadside bombs that killed and maimed U.S. soldiers.
Soleimani was the architect of Iran's regional military activities and is celebrated as a national icon among supporters of Iran's theocracy. ISNA/AFP via Getty Images Soleimani's death has drawn large processions in the past. IRAN PRESS/AFP via Getty Images
He helped secure the victory of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into civil war.
In 2020, the US under President Donald Trump killed the general in a drone strike.
“When we learn of attacks, we will also take preventative measures to protect American forces and American lives. “The game has changed,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said after the attack.
He also said in a statement that Soleimani “is actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and military personnel in Iraq and throughout the region.”
“This attack was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,” Esper added.
The explosions occurred on the fourth anniversary of the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani (left side of the mural), head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force. AP
But Soleimani's death has since sparked backlash and widespread protests against the United States.
There was a stampede at his funeral in 2020, leaving at least 56 people dead and more than 200 injured.
With post wires
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