TEHRAN: Daesh militant group said Thursday that it conducted twin attacks which killed around 84 people at a memorial ceremony in Iran for slain Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani.
The claim from the militant group came as Iran observed a day of national mourning for those killed in Wednesday’s attacks.
Over 170 people were injured in two consecutive bomb blasts during a gathering commemorating the fourth anniversary of the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani in Iran’s southern city of Kerman. The blasts took place near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, Soleimani’s hometown, where he is buried.
Twin Bombings in Iran
Iran’s state media referred to the bombings as a “terrorist attack,” escalating regional tensions. The bombings, targeting civilians who had gathered to honor Soleimani, according to state media. Kerman’s deputy governor declared the incident as a “terrorist attack.”
Iran’s Tasnim news agency, quoting informed sources, reported that “two bags carrying bombs went off” at the site, suggesting a coordinated attack. The agency added that the perpetrators likely detonated the bombs remotely.
General Qasem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was killed in a US drone strike just outside Baghdad airport in 2020.
Earlier, Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has condemned the terrorist attack that targeted civilian people in Iran and claimed many casualties and injuries.
In a statement, the OIC Secretary-General expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the government of Iran, people and families of the victims.
The OIC General Secretariat wished a speedy recovery for injured people. Furthermore, it renewed its solidarity with Iran in this tragic event, the statement added.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also pledged a “harsh response” following twin blasts in Kerman. In a statement, Ayatollah Khamenei condemned the “evil and criminal enemies” responsible for the disaster and expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of lives. He vowed that those behind the attacks would face severe consequences, stating, “This disaster will have a harsh response, God willing.”
