Two explosions seemingly linked to terrorist motives killed 103 individuals and injured at least 140 more in Kerman city, Iran, on Wednesday at a ceremony commemorating top commander Qassem Soleimani, according to Iranian officials.
The former top commander and Quds Forces Leader was assassinated by a U.S. drone in Bagdad, Iraq in 2020 by orders of then-president Donald Trump, and he was buried near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in Kerman.
The explosions took place as a large gathering of regime representatives and unidentified visitors had arrived for a memorial ceremony.
According to Tasnim, citing reliable sources, the explosions were caused by “bombs concealed in two bags.” According to the same source, “The perpetrators apparently activated the bombs using a remote control.”
The explosions occurred 10 minutes apart, according to the ISNA news agency, citing Kerman Mayor Said Tabrizi.
Participants were seen hurriedly trying to flee the venue as security personnel roped it off. Other recordings showed individuals running, terrified, and bewildered.
Qassem Soleimani led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ external operations division, which oversaw military activities throughout the Middle East. Soleimani was declared a “living martyr” by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for his participation in fighting the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Long seen as a sworn enemy by the U.S. and its allies, Soleimani was one of the region’s most powerful figures, defining Iran’s political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, according to analysts.