Iran: 103 dead from explosions near the cemetery where K. Soleimani is buried (added 22:00)

Two explosions rocked Wednesday afternoon near the cemetery where Qassem Soleimani is buried in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman, killing 103 people and wounding more than 200, according to state media.

On the night of January 2-3, Soleimani was killed in a missile attack on Baghdad International Airport carried out by the Iraq-based US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). A little later, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed that this was an operation carried out on the personal orders of President Donald Trump.

Added 22:00
According to updated data, 103 people have already died as a result of the explosion, including six children, local media reported. More than 200 more people were injured. According to preliminary data, there were two explosions: 700 and 1000 meters from the burial site of General Soleimani in Kerman.

Iran’s spiritual leader Ali Khamenei promised a “strong response” to the explosion.

“The hands stained with the blood of innocents and the vile thoughts that led the criminals to this mistake will now be the target of repression and fair punishment. This tragedy will entail a harsh response,” Khamenei said.

Local media said the explosions were carried out by two suicide bombers as crowds gathered in the area to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force commander in a US operation in Baghdad. Iranian television also reported that at least 50 people were injured.

Breaking🚨 Iran🇮🇷

At least 49 people were injured in Iran's Kerman province after four massive "explosions" hit the cemetery where extremist Soleimani is buried. pic.twitter.com/P03N8qybLN

— Izlamic Terrorist (@raviagrawal3) January 3, 2024

Mass casualties observed following explosions in Iran’s city of Kerman near a cemetery where slain commander Qassem Soleimani is buried.

At least 20 people reported killed for now. pic.twitter.com/3UHjO79yzq

— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 3, 2024

التلفزيون الرسمي الإيراني: سماع دوي انفجار ثان في مقبرة مدينة كرمان وإصابة عدة أشخاص#العربية pic.twitter.com/XhJ3XHVIic

— العربية (@AlArabiya) January 3, 2024

#BREAKING
At least 20 people died following explosions in #Iran’s city of Kerman near a cemetery where slain commander Qassem Soleimani is buried, state TV reports. https://t.co/O2XvSyOxUq pic.twitter.com/8s1BUVAkOc

— EHA News (@eha_news) January 3, 2024

“At the entrance to the Gulzar Mausoleum building in the cemetery in Kerman there were two bags with bombs, which the perpetrators of this incident apparently detonated using a remote device,” – the message says. Earlier, the Iranian agency IRNA reported an explosion near a cemetery in Kerman; a few minutes later the agency reported a second explosion on the road to the Golzar cemetery. According to Iranian media, the explosion injured at least 15 people and killed at least 50 people.

On the night of January 3, 2020, as a result of a US operation in the area of ​​Baghdad International Airport, Iranian general, commander of the IRGC special forces Qasem Soleimani and deputy head of the Iraqi Shiite militia Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed. In Washington, they are considered involved in organizing the attack on the American embassy in Baghdad on December 31, 2019. In response, Iran launched strikes on American bases in Iraq, including Ain al-Assad.

Rahman Jalali, deputy governor of Iran’s southeastern Kerman province, said explosions occurred during funeral processions commemorating the fourth anniversary of the death of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general Qassem Soleimani on the road leading to the cemetery were a terrorist attack, the agency reports Tasnim.

“The deputy governor of Kerman for political and security affairs said the two explosions were a terrorist attack,” – the agency said in a statement.

On the night of January 2-3, Soleimani was killed in a missile attack on Baghdad International Airport carried out by the Iraq-based US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). A little later, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed that this was an operation carried out on the personal orders of President Donald Trump.

Iranian media believe that the United States is behind this terrorist attack.




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