As a mass gathering of people gathered to pay homage to Iran’s former top general, Qassim Soleimani, who was killed during US drone strikes in 2020, twin explosions took place killing over 100, and leaving scores of people injured on Wednesday. The blasts come amid the domestic unrest and the possibility of a regional war due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks which are being called the deadliest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. According to the Iranian officials, a pair of bombs were placed in bags and kept on the road which went towards the cemetery. The bombs exploded 20 minutes apart and went off when a slew of people made their way towards slain commander Soleimani’s memorial in Kerman to commemorate his fourth death anniversary. Notably, Kerman is about 820 kilometers southeast of the capital city of Tehran.
The fact that no one has yet claimed responsibility, has led to people finger-pointing at one another, resulting in growing confusion and unrest among the people. Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi declared that undoubtedly, the perpetrators and leaders of the “cowardly act” will soon be identified and punished. While Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that the attackers will surely face a harsh response, without naming anyone. Authorities have declared that Thursday would be observed as a national day of mourning.
Informing about how the attack unfolded, Ahmad Vahidi, the Interior Minister stated that the first bomb detonated at 3 pm, and the other went off at around 3.20 pm. It is pertinent to note here that it was the second blast that killed and wounded most of the people. The first explosion happened 700 meters away from the Soleimani grave, prompting people to rush towards the west in Shohada, or Martyr’s Street, where the second explosion took place. Delayed explosions are often used as a tactic by militants to inflict grievous injuries and target a larger number of people.
The Iranians have blamed the authorities for being unable to provide people security at an event that would be attended by hundreds of people. Meanwhile, the Iranian officials are pointing fingers at the United States and Israel. However, International intelligence experts and analysts believe that the attacks have been carried out by terrorist groups, not Israel.
It is also important to note here that while Israel has been behind multiple attacks on Iran, it never had the mindset of inflicting mass casualties. Meanwhile, the Sunni extremist groups, including Islamic State, have been behind attacks that have killed civilians in the past, however, they too have never targeted the peaceful Kerman city.
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