At least fifty dead in Iran after two explosions at Soleimani’s grave

At least 50 people were killed as a result of two explosions this Wednesday near a cemetery in Kerman province where Qasem Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, killed in a bombing carried out by the United States in 2020, is buried. Iraq.

“So far we have transferred 20 dead and 20 injured to a hospital,” the head of the Kerman Emergency Medical Center said in statements to Mehr news agency, although it has not been ruled out that the number of deaths will increase in the future. following hours.

According to information collected by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the explosions took place near the Garden of Martyrs and the Sahib al Zaman Mosque during an event marking the fourth anniversary of the death of Soleimani, who died on January 3, 2020. aforementioned American attack.

For example, Iranian media have indicated that an initial explosion caused numerous casualties, after which another deflagration was recorded in the area, without Iranian authorities commenting on the causes of the incident.

Iranian security forces have increased their presence in the area of ​​the explosions, where numerous ambulances have also been sent to treat the victims and transfer the injured to hospitals in the city.

Thousands of people had gathered in the city to pay tribute to Soleimani, one of the victims of a drone strike carried out by the United States. Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, then ‘number two’ of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) – a coalition of pro-government Iraqi militias backed by Iran – was also among the dead.

On December 6, an Iranian court ordered the United States government and other institutions and individuals in the North American country to pay some $50 billion (more than €46 billion) for Soleimani’s death, after serving dozens of arrest warrants had issued against senior American leaders. officials, including former President Donald Trump.