Two explosions kill more than 100 people at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate top commander Qassem Soleimani’s death
TEHRAN, Jan 03 (SABAH): Two explosions killed more than 100 people and wounded scores at a ceremony in Iran on Wednesday to commemorate top commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a US drone in 2020, Iranian officials said, blaming unspecified terrorists.
Iranian state television reported a first and then a second blast during a crowded anniversary event at the cemetery where Soleimani is buried in the southeastern city of Kerman.
An unnamed official told state news agency “IRNA” that “two explosive devices planted along the road leading to Kerman’s Martyrs’ Cemetery were detonated remotely by terrorists”.
State television said that at least 103 people had been killed and 211 others injured, making it one of the worst such attacks in Iran, which has faced similar incidents in the past from various groups, including Islamic State. No one claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s blasts.
Red Crescent rescuers tended to wounded people at the ceremony, where hundreds of Iranians had gathered to mark the anniversary of Soleimani’s death. Some Iranian news agencies said the number of wounded was much higher.
“I heard a very loud sound and then felt pain in my back … then I could not feel my legs,” a wounded woman at a Kerman hospital told state television.
Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman Red Crescent Society, told state television the huge crowd was making it hard to get the wounded out.
Other videos aired by Iranian media showed dozens of bodies strewn around with some bystanders trying to help survivors and others hurrying to leave the blast area.
“A terrible sound was heard there, despite all the security and safety measures. We are still investigating,” Fallah said.
Later, the state news agency said the cemetery had been evacuated and closed until further notice. The government announced that Thursday would be a day of mourning.
While the authorities have not publicly assigned blame, Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi vowed a strong response.
“Those who committed these crimes should expect a strong and decisive response by Iran’s security forces,” Vahidi told state TV, adding that “everything is under control now and calm has been restored”.
Soleimani was considered the most powerful figure in Iran, second only to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
As the leader of the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards’ wing responsible for overseas operations, he played a significant role in determining Iranian policy throughout the region.