The Islamic State on Thursday claimed responsibility two bombings in Iran that led to the death of 103 people . During a ceremony in Iran’s Kerman to honor commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US drone in 2020, two bombs went off in quick succession.
According to a report by news agency Reuters, the Islamic State posted a statement claiming responsibility for the attack on its affiliate Telegram channels.
As supporters gathered to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death in a US drone strike just outside Baghdad airport, explosions occurred close to the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, his hometown in the south where he is buried. The state media reported that the explosions reportedly caused injuries to at least 170 additional people.
On Thursday, the state media said there were reports of a shooting in Kerman, a day after the blasts.
As per Iran’s Tasnim news agency, “two bags carrying bombs went off” at the site. The bombs detonated using remote control, said the agency.
Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, overseeing military operations across the Middle East.
