At least 73 people were killed and 170 others injured in a twin explosion Wednesday near the tomb of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who was the architect of Iran’s military operations in the Middle East and whose fourth anniversary Iran is celebrating of death, according to a report provided by state television.
According to the first elements given by state television, the incident took place near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque, where Soleimani’s tomb is located, in Kerman, in the south of Iran.
Two explosions were heard a few minutes apart.
According to television images, rescuers were working on the spot, where many people were gathered for the anniversary of the general’s death.
The causes of the double explosion are not yet known.
Qassem Soleimani was killed in January 2020, at the age of 62, during an American drone attack in Iraq. A key figure in the Iranian regime, he was also one of the country’s most popular public figures.
After serving in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, Soleimani quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, responsible for the Islamic Republic’s external operations.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared three days of national mourning at the time of his death.