OAN’s James Meyers
10:33 AM – Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Over 100 people were killed during a memorial event honoring the late former terrorist, Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Advertisement
The attack that took place on Wednesday, had thousands of Iranians gathered at Soleimani’s memorial in Kerman, to mark the fourth anniversary of his death.
According to Iranian authorities, a total of two bombs went off at the gravesite that had photos displayed of the former head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force.
According to the Iranian national media, the first bomb went off only 700 meters (2,300 feet) from the memorial site, while the other one was a kilometer away (2,000 feet).
Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts.
The former general, Soleimani, was buried in the cemetery after he was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, in January 2020.
Graphic video showed crowds of people running from the blasts as emergency crews arrived, while bodies were lying on the ground.
Additionally, the footage indicated that the second blast occurred almost 15 minutes after the first one, which is a strategy used by terrorist groups to target emergency personnel and cause an increase in deaths.
According to multiple reports, the two bombs were placed in suitcases and detonated remotely.
“The blasts were caused by terrorist attacks,” one local official said. “Several gas canisters exploded on the road leading to the cemetery.”
Furthermore, the local official also said another 141 people were also injured.
In response to the attack, Iran’s head of judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said those responsible for the attack will be found and punished.
“The agents and perpetrators of this grievous crime will undoubtedly be punished,” Mohseni-Ejei said in a statement, according to Al-Jazeera.
“Responsible intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies are obligated to promptly pursue all the evidence and perpetrators and hand them over to the judiciary.”
Soleimani was a national hero among Iran, and was considered a national threat to the United States.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts