People run away from the site where Iranian general Qassem Soleimani is buried. Two bomb explosions took place there, killing more than a hundred people. Image AFP
The then 62-year-old Soleimani, one of the most powerful people in the country, was killed in neighboring Iraq on January 3, 2020 by an American drone strike. In Iran he is revered as a hero. Many people had gathered at his grave because of the anniversary of his death. That’s where the explosives went off.
According to local media, at least 103 people have been killed and another 211 injured. There would have been about twenty minutes between the explosions. This may indicate that it is an attack, notes AP news agency: it is a well-known tactic to deliberately cause a second explosion to take place later, in order to cause as many victims as possible among rushing bystanders and emergency services.
It is still unclear who is responsible for the explosions. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the “terrorist attack,” as local authorities call it. In any case, it will further increase tension in the region, shortly after Israel eliminated a key Hamas leader in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
Day of national mourning
A day of national mourning has been declared in Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, has vowed a “tough response” will follow. According to Khamenei, the attack was the work of “evil and criminal enemies” of Iran. “They should know that this disastrous act will lead to a harsh response, God willing.”
Soleimani, who was killed four years ago, was the commander of the Quds Brigade, a feared part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which mainly operates abroad. The Americans held him responsible for several attacks. Soleimani’s death further increased the already high tension between Iran and the US.
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2024-01-03 18:45:21
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