Islamic States claimed responsibility for two devastating explosions that unfolded during a ceremony in Iran, marking the fourth death anniversary of military commander, General Qassem Soleimani. The blasts resulted in the death of over 100 people, with several others sustaining injuries. The group announced its involvement through a statement posted on its affiliate Telegram channels. It claimed that two of its members had detonated explosive belts. However, the statement did not mentioned which arm of the Islamic State group carried out the attack.
The solemn gathering took place at a cemetery in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman, where a crowd had assembled to honor General Qassem Soleimani. He, the senior military commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in a US drone strike in 2020. The first explosion occurred around 3 pm, and as the crowd attempted to flee, a second bomb detonated near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque 20 minutes later. The Iranian government reported that the majority of casualties resulted from the second bombing, amid chaos from the initial blast.
Expressing condolences and solidarity, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “We are shocked and saddened by the terrible bombings in the Kerman City of Iran. At this difficult time, we express our solidarity with the government and people of Iran.”
In response to the attacks, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a stern warning, stating that the perpetrators would face a “harsh response,” although he refrained from naming any specific suspects. President Ebrahim Raisi echoed these sentiments, vowing to identify and punish those responsible for the “cowardly act.” “Undoubtedly, the perpetrators and leaders of this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished,” President Raisi affirmed.
“Cruel criminals must know that they will be strongly dealt with from now on and undoubtedly there will be a harsh response,” he added.
