One hundred and three people were killed in a double explosion in southern Iran on Wednesday, January 3, near the grave of General Ghassem Soleimani, whose death anniversary the country is celebrating for the fourth time, state television reported. A previous report reported 73 deaths.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi condemned this act in a statement: “There is no doubt that the perpetrators of this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished by the security forces and the forces of competent order for their heinous act.”. »
The attack was quickly described as a “terrorist” act by Rahman Jalali, deputy governor of Kerman province in southern Iran. It was not immediately claimed.
According to the latest information from state television, 141 people were also injured – some in critical condition – in the explosions near the Saheb Al-Zaman mosque, where Soleimani's tomb is located, in Kerman, southern Iran.
Read a profile from 2017: Article reserved for our subscribers Ghassem Soleimani, Guardian of Iran
Bombs “activated by remote control”
According to local agency Tasnim, citing well-informed sources, the explosions were caused by “bombs hidden in two bags.” “The perpetrators apparently activated the bombs using a remote control,” the same source said.
The ISNA agency, quoting Kerman Mayor Said Tabrizi, explains that the explosions occurred ten minutes apart. Videos posted on social media showed participants desperately trying to leave the site as security personnel cordoned off the area. In other videos you can see people running, panicking and being disoriented. Rescuers were on site shortly after the explosions. Numerous ambulances were also on site.
State television reported that “following the terrorist attack in Kerman, the government has declared tomorrow a national day of mourning throughout the country.” The attack was condemned by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The murder of peaceful people who were visiting a cemetery is shocking in its cruelty and cynicism,” he lamented in a message to his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raïssi and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the Kremlin. “We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms,” added the Russian president, whose country is closely allied with Iran.
Ghassem Soleimani, popular figure in the country
Ghassem Soleimani was killed in an American drone strike in Iraq in January 2020 at the age of 62. A key figure in the Iranian regime, he was also one of the country's most popular figures.
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After serving in the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, Soleimani quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming head of the Revolutionary Guard's Quds Brigade, which was responsible for the Islamic Republic's external operations. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared three days of national mourning at the time of his death.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah will deliver a speech commemorating the killing of General Soleimani, scheduled for late Wednesday afternoon, a day after the assassination of powerful Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri in Beirut.
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