Twin Blasts Claim 103 Lives in Iran During Commemoration Event
Twin blasts rocked the southern city of Kerman in Iran, claiming the lives of 103 individuals and injuring 140 during a memorial service for General Qassem Soleimani. The commemoration event near Soleimani’s tomb turned into a scene of devastation as remote control bombs concealed in suitcases exploded.
The first explosion occurred close to Soleimani’s tomb during a memorial service near the Sahib Al-Zaman mosque. Thirteen minutes later, a second blast shook the area about one kilometer away. The attacks resulted in dismembered bodies and a rising death toll, with authorities suspecting it to be a terrorist act. Sources close to Iran suggested the involvement of an Israeli-backed group in the bombings.
Thousands of people had gathered for the memorial service, paying respects to the prominent general who was assassinated in a US drone strike in 2020. Soleimani, known as Iran’s James Bond, held a significant position in the country as the former head of the Quds Force, the foreign wing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. He played a crucial role in supporting groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi rebels.
The recent twin blasts occurred amid escalating tensions in the region, following the killing of Razi Mousavi, a top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, in an Israeli airstrike in Syria on Christmas Day. Israel had previously targeted key figures in Iran’s nuclear program between 2010 and 2012, resulting in heightened hostilities.
The tragic incident marks a dark day for Iran, with the death toll expected to rise. Investigations into the nature of the terrorist attack are ongoing, as the international community closely monitors the situation.
