UPDATE: The number of casualties of the Kerman bombing has reportedly increased to 103.
Two successive explosions in southern Iran killed over 100 people and injured over 170 more, during a commemoration on the fourth anniversary of Gen. Soleimani’s death.
Over 100 people were killed and others were injured in two explosions near the burial site of Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani in the southern Iranian city of Kerman, during a commemoration on the fourth anniversary of his death, PressTV reported.
The head of Kerman’s emergency services, Mohammad Saberi, reportedly confirmed to Press TV that over 70 people were killed and 171 others wounded in the attacks.
The explosion that occurred on the road leading to ‘Gulzar Shahadai Kerman’ (the graveyard where Qassem Soleimani is burried) was related to several gas canisters that exploded, nobody was hurt and nothing special happened.
The crowd is calm and the relevant officials are… pic.twitter.com/ZWeggju107
— Arya – آریا 🇮🇷 (@AryJeay) January 3, 2024
Medical services said the death toll is expected to rise as ambulances were taking the wounded to hospitals, some in critical conditions.
According to IRNA, the first explosion occurred some 700 meters from the grave of General Soleimani and the second one about one kilometer away.
Tasnim news agency cited unnamed sources as saying that two suitcases, loaded with explosives, were remotely detonated causing the explosions.
The first explosion reportedly occurred at 2:50 pm local time, and the second took place 15 minutes later. Some people were injured during a crowd crush following the first explosion, according to PressTV.
Iranian officials say all the injured have been transferred to hospitals and the situation is under control.
Terrorist attack in Kerman, on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Haj Qasim
At least 20 dead💔🥹 pic.twitter.com/YXZI923LCH— Hosniye🇮🇷 (@Itshosniye) January 3, 2024
General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was assassinated in a drone strike near the Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
The explosions in Kerman come less than 24 hours after a drone attack in a southern suburb of Beirut killed Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas’ Political Bureau.
(PC, PressTV)
