The explosion occurred as thousands of people gathered to commemorate the senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, General Qassem Soleimani - who was killed in an airstrike in Baghdad (Iraq) on January 3, 2020.
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| Thousands of people attended the memorial service for General Soleimani held at the Karman cemetery, resulting in a large number of casualties. (Source: IRNA) |
The death toll from a terrorist attack near the Kerman cemetery on January 3 has risen to 103, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
IRNA added that 141 others were injured, some of them in critical condition.
The death toll is expected to rise as the number of people injured in the two consecutive blasts is too serious. Initially, Nournews reported that several gas cylinders exploded on the road leading to the cemetery and that relevant agencies were monitoring the situation.
However, according to an unnamed official, two explosive devices were placed along the road leading to the cemetery and were detonated remotely.
Rescuers are currently tending to the injured and evacuating them from the scene. However, this work is facing difficulties because all roads leading to the area are blocked.
So far, no organization has admitted carrying out this attack. Kerman Deputy Governor Rahman Jalali declared this incident a "terrorist attack" and is investigating.
In response to this heartbreaking incident, on January 3, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil posted a message on social network X emphasizing that this Caribbean country condemned the terrorist attack “in the strongest terms”.
The head of Venezuela's foreign ministry expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and government , as well as with the families and friends of the victims. Venezuela called for those responsible for the attack to be brought to justice.
The government of President Nicolás Maduro also reaffirmed its opposition to “terrorism in all its forms” and condemned “any act of violence aimed at causing terror and anxiety among the population.”
The explosion occurred as thousands of people gathered to mourn the death of senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike on his convoy at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 3, 2020.
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