Explosions at an event honouring a prominent Iranian general Qasem Soleimani slain in a US airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 103 people and wounded 141 others, state-run media in Iran reported on Wednesday, as officials have called it a terrorist attack.
- Mohammad Saberi – the head of Kerman’s emergency services – has confirmed to state media that more of the critically injured in the blasts have now died, bringing the total number of dead to 103, according to Al Jazeera.
- “The current number of the injured is 141, some of whom are critically injured,” he said.
- According to reports, two explosions were heard in quick succession near the grave of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, as the country marked the anniversary of his killing in a US drone strike in Iraq.
- Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that the initial explosion took place at 3.00 pm local time, with a subsequent explosion occurring after people had assembled to assist in the aftermath of the first incident, adding, the majority of casualties resulted from the second explosion.
- The blasts struck an event marking the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force. who died in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020.
- The explosions occurred near his gravesite in Kerman, about 820 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tehran.
- Kerman’s deputy governor, Rahman Jalali, called the attack “terroristic,” without elaborating. However, no group immediately claimed responsibility.
- Though it is still unclear who who behind the attack, Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault.
- These may include exile groups, militant organizations, and state actors.
- Earlier, Iran has supported Hamas as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.