Two explosions in the city of Kerman, in the southeast of Iran, have caused the death of at least 103 people at the mausoleum of General Qasem Soleimani during the commemorations of the fourth anniversary of his “martyrdom”, when he was assassinated at the airport of Baghdad by an American drone. A state media outlet has reported that at least 103 people have died and another 188 have been injured, some of them in “critical condition.” There were 10 minutes between the first explosion and the second, according to the Iranian Fars agency. The Irna agency noted, for its part, that the first explosion occurred 700 meters from Soleimani’s mausoleum and the second, one kilometer and out of the way of pilgrims and checkpoints.
An Iranian official quoted by official media stated that the explosions in Soleimani’s hometown responded to “terrorist attacks.” According to a message posted on the social network of Kerman”, although he did not provide further details. An unnamed official later told state news agency IRNA that “two explosive devices placed along the road leading to the Kerman Martyrs’ Cemetery were detonated remotely by terrorists.”
No group or organization claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Iranian state television said several people were injured in a stampede after the explosions sparked panic.
Soleimani, head of the Qods Force, was the architect of Iran’s regional military activities and is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Iran’s theocracy.
The semi-official Nournews newspaper claimed that “several gas cylinders exploded on the road leading to the cemetery” in Kerman, while a local official was quoted by state media as saying that “it is still unclear whether the explosions were caused by gas cylinders.” or by a terrorist attack.
Television showed Red Crescent rescuers tending to the wounded at the ceremony, where thousands of Iranians had gathered to mark the anniversary of Suleimançi’s death.
“Our rapid response teams are evacuating the injured… But there are waves of crowds blocking the roads,” Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman province Red Crescent, told state television.
It must be remembered that during Soleimani’s funeral in Kerman, four years ago, an avalanche occurred in which 35 people died due to poor security management and closed streets. Those deaths were hidden by the regime.
