Material damage from the double attack near the grave of Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, in Kerman (Europa Press)
He Islamic State claimed this Thursday Double suicide bombing that at least 84 people died on Wednesday in the city of Kerman in southern Iran during celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the assassination of the Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in the hands of the United States.
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The terrorist group announced this in a statement published via its Telegram channels two of its members “strive for great concentration” near Soleimani's grave in Kerman e “They detonated their explosive belts“, in which, according to Iranian authorities, 84 people died and more than 200 were injured on the fourth anniversary of the general's death.
The state agency IRNA reported this on Thursday The investigation pointed to a suicide bomber at the first detonation, whose identity is not yet clear.
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“The suicide bomber in the first incident was a man who was completely dismembered by the explosion. and the identification of the suicide bomber is being investigated,” a source told IRNA.
Rescuers treat victims of the attack (via Portal)
The Persian regime, in turn, quickly blamed the US and Israel for the attack on Wednesday. “Washington says the United States and Israel had nothing to do with the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Really? (…) Don't get me wrong. The responsibility for this crime lies with the American and Zionist regimes, and terrorism is just a tool,” said Mohammad Jamshidi, adviser to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
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The United States denied that Israel or itself was involved “in any way,” with a senior official stating: “It looks like a terrorist attack like those committed by IS (Islamic State) in the past“.
The attack came amid tensions in the Middle East and a day after the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas's number two, Saleh Al Arouri, an ally of Iran, was killed in an attack in Beirut that Lebanese authorities attributed to Israel.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday blamed the Islamic Republic's “evil and criminal enemies,” without naming them, and promised a “tough response.”
Soleimani, who led the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guard's foreign operations, was also a staunch enemy of the Shiite-majority Sunni extremist group Islamic State, which has carried out attacks in Iran.
Soleimani is revered by many Iranians and led Iranian military operations throughout the Middle East. In 2020, millions of people attended his funeral.
The The Iranian authorities called for massive protests against the explosions in Kerman after the weekly Friday prayer, at which authorities announced that the deceased would be buried.
(With information from AFP and EFE)