World

At Least 20 Killed In Explosions In Iran Near US-Slain General Soleimani's Grave

Nishtha Anushree

Jan 03, 2024, 06:48 PM | Updated 06:48 PM IST


Qasem Soleimani (sayyed shahab-o- din vajedi/WIkimedia Commons)
Qasem Soleimani (sayyed shahab-o- din vajedi/WIkimedia Commons)

State television reported that, on Wednesday (3 January), a minimum of 20 individuals lost their lives in Iran due to two consecutive explosions. The crowd was gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the 2020 killing of Guards general Qasem Soleimani when the blasts occurred.

The incident, which occurred near the tomb of the head of foreign operations of Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, a southern city, resulted in the tragic loss of at least 20 lives, according to the television report cited by The Hindu.

Just a short while ago, two consecutive explosions were reported near the mosque. The cause of these blasts was not immediately known.

State television broadcasted visuals of numerous ambulances and emergency responders at the scene.

The Tasnim news agency in Iran disclosed that the explosions also resulted in injuries to 30 individuals.

Soleimani was the leader of the Quds Force, which is the international operations division of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and was responsible for managing military operations throughout the Middle East.

His life was ended in a US drone attack near Baghdad airport, and he continues to be a highly respected individual in Iran.

Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.


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