least 103 people died this Wednesday and more than 140 were injured by two explosions in the cemetery of the Iranian city of Kerman, where the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani was commemorated, official Iranian sources reported. .
Sources from the Kerman emergency service cited by Iran’s official media said that the “terrorist attack” occurred when thousands of people gathered at the cemetery to commemorate the death of Soleimani, considered in Iran a martyr of the revolution and who died in 2020 in a US drone attack on Baghdad airport.
Medical services cited by Iranian television PressTV indicated that the death toll from the explosions is very likely to increase, given the number of critically injured people arriving at the city’s hospitals.
Both the Tasnim news agency, linked to the Guardians of the Revolution, and the official IRNA agency (government) indicate that two bags loaded with explosives that were detonated remotely were responsible for the massacre.
Several injured in a stampede after the first explosion
In addition, several people were injured in a stampede that occurred after the first explosion.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said in statements reported on public television that those responsible for this attack will “soon” receive a “crushing response” and indicated that these bomb attacks are “the continuation of several plans to kill innocent civilians.” ” at public ceremonies across the country, “many of which were prevented by security services.”
The head of the Judiciary and former Minister of Intelligence, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, expressed himself in the same way, promising that the “perpetrators and those responsible for the attack will soon be apprehended and brought to justice.”
Mohseni Ejei blamed the attacks on “terrorists supported by arrogance,” a name by which the authorities of the Iranian regime usually refer to the United States and sometimes to Israel, who “harbor grudges against Soleimani and have chosen to take revenge on the people.” , after several of his plans to destabilize the country were neutralized.”
The explosions occurred in the cemetery where thousands of people gathered to commemorate the death of Soleimani, considered in Iran a martyr of the revolution and killed in a US attack.
Explosion 700 meters from Soleimani’s tomb
According to IRNA, the first explosion took place 700 meters from General Soleimani’s tomb and the second explosion occurred one kilometer from it, around 3:00 p.m. local time (11:30 GMT).
The explosions dispersed the many people who were in the Kerman cemetery and ambulances rushed to take the wounded to the city’s hospitals, according to the Iranian agency’s account.
At first, security officials in the province indicated that it was not yet clear whether the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder or a terrorist attack.
Shortly after, the deputy governor of Kerman called the explosions “acts of terrorism.”
According to a message published on the social network provided more details.
EU condemns deadly attack
The European Union condemned this Wednesday the explosions in the cemetery of the Iranian city of Kerman, where the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani was being commemorated, which have left at least 103 people dead and more than 140 injured, and urged that Those responsible for the attack are held accountable.
“The EU condemns in the most serious terms possible today’s bombings in the city of Kerman in Iran. The EU expresses its solidarity with the Iranian people. This act of terror has caused a horrific death toll and injury to civilians. Our thoughts are now with the victims and their families. The perpetrators must be held accountable,” a spokesperson for the European External Action Service, community diplomacy, said in a statement.
Putin expresses condolences to Iran
The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, expressed his condolences to the Iranian leaders on Wednesday for the “terrorist attack in the city of Kerman” with more than a hundred fatalities.
“Please accept my deepest condolences for the tragic consequences of the terrorist attack in the city of Kerman. The murder of civilians who were visiting a cemetery stands out for its cruelty and cynicism,” says the Russian leader’s telegram, addressed to the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, and the president, Ebrahim Raisi.
Putin asked to convey his words of support to the families and friends of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Likewise, he stressed that Russia “strongly condemns terrorism in all its manifestations” and reiterated its commitment to “an uncompromising fight against this evil.”
By Nadeem Faisal Baiga
