At least 103 dead in double blast at memorial to Qasem Soleimani who was killed in 2020 US strike -
IRAN has vowed to "hunt down terrorists" after at least 103 people were killed in a double blast that ripped through the memorial parade for infamous Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
The two explosions - unclaimed but labelled a "terrorist attack" by state media and regional authorities - came amid high Middle East tensions over the Israel-Hamas war and a day after the killing of a Hamas senior leader in Lebanon.
The blasts, about 15 minutes apart, struck near the Martyrs Cemetery at the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, Soleimani's southern hometown, as supporters gathered to mark his death in a 2020 US drone strike in Baghdad.
"The number of people killed rose to 103 following the deaths of people injured during the terrorist explosions," said the official IRNA news agency, while state TV reported 181 wounded, some in critical condition.
Among those killed were three paramedics who rushed to the scene after the first explosion, said Iran's Red Crescent.
State media quotes a local official in Kerman as saying "the blasts were caused by terrorist attacks".
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The death toll keeps rising as officials are updating figures by the minute, with the number of wounded people possibly rising as well in the coming hours.
President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the "heinous" crime as the Islamic Republic of Iran declared Thursday a national day of mourning.
Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, overseeing military operations across the Middle East.
Declared a "living martyr" by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while still alive, Soleimani was widely regarded as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State jihadist group in both Iraq and Syria.
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In the eyes of many Iranians, his military and strategic prowess were instrumental in warding off the multi-ethnic disintegration of neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan as well as Syria and Iraq.
Long seen as a deadly adversary by the US and its allies, Soleimani was one of the most important powerbrokers across the region, setting Iran's political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
On days after his death in 2020 and leading up to his funeral in Kerman, millions turned out to mourn in a show of national unity.
Wednesday's double bombing comes just a day after Hamas number two Saleh al-Arouri - an Iran ally - was killed in a Beirut drone strike which Lebanese officials blamed on Israel.
There are now fears that a terrifying war across the Middle East could break out in days.
"Huge explosion heard near Saheb al-Zaman Mosque" where the storied head of foreign operations of Iran's Revolutionary Guards is buried in Kerman in southern Iran, local broadcasters said in a first report.
"A second explosion was heard near Saheb al-Zaman Mosque," they added shortly afterwards.
The semi-official Nournews said "several gas canisters exploded on the road leading to the cemetery".
A local official was quoted by Iranian state media saying: "It is not yet clear whether the explosions were caused by gas cylinders or a terrorist attack".
State TV showed Red Crescent rescuers attending to wounded people at the ceremony, which gathered hundreds of attendees.
Online footage showed panicked crowds scrambling to flee as security personnel cordoned off the area.
State television showed bloodied victims lying on the ground and ambulances and rescue personnel racing to help them.
"We were walking towards the cemetery when a car suddenly stopped behind us and a waste bin containing a bomb exploded," an eyewitness was quoted saying by the ISNA news agency.
"We only heard the explosion and saw people falling."
A "large number of ambulances" had also arrived at the scene, Tasnim News reported earlier today.
"Our rapid response teams are evacuating the injured... But there are waves of crowds blocking roads," Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman province Red Crescent told state TV.
Authorities have urged people not to enter hospitals to search for loved ones to avoid chaos, AlJazeera reported.
The names of the deceased is said to be published online within the coming hours.
State-linked media have said Melika Hosseini, a member of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, is among those killed.
Iran's Tasnim news agency, quoting informed sources, said "two bags carrying bombs went off" at the site.
"The perpetrators ... of this incident apparently detonated the bombs by remote control," Tasnim added.
Iran’s Head of Judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, has released a statement saying, “The agents and perpetrators of this grievous crime will undoubtedly be punished”.
“Responsible intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies are obligated to promptly pursue all the evidence and perpetrators and hand them over to the judiciary”.
Iraqis also participated in a candle light vigil marking the fourth anniversary of the killing of the top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
The vigil took place near Baghdad's International Airport on Monday night.
Just yesterday, Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri, an Iran ally, was killed in a Beirut drone hit blamed on Israel by Lebanese officials.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported the senior official died in an explosion caused by an attack on an apartment used as Hamas' office.
Arouri was a senior official in Hamas's politburo but was known to be deeply involved in its military affairs.
He was one of the founders of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades - Hamas' military wing - and headed the terrorist group's presence in the West Bank.
The deputy leader was seen as Hamas' prime orchestrator of terrorism in the West Bank - and was wanted by Israel for many years.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to kill him even before the Hamas bloodbath on October 7, which sparked the ongoing war.
Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah promised to retaliate after Israel assassinated the top Hamas official.
The killing sparked fury across the Israeli border and provoked warnings from the United Nations, Lebanon government and France over the potential escalation of an all out war.
Iran have long been at the forefront of Hamas workings after funding their operations and providing intelligence to the group for decades, according to reports.
Arouri also had close links with Hezbollah - a Lebanese terrorist group seen as one of the most deadly and formidable in the world who also support and back Hamas in their horror attacks on Israel.
The killing of Arouri in Hezbollah's stronghold could escalate the the war well beyond the Gaza strip because of these strong ties.
In a televised speech in August, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a "severe reaction".
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati described the killing as a war crime aimed at Lebanon to drag them deeper into the conflict.
As Izzat Al-Rishq - a member of the Hamas Political bureau - called it a "cowardly assassination by the Zionist occupation".
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Despite Hezbollah threatening to retaliate, they haven't started to make any moves yet, according to the countries government official Abdallah Bou Habib.
Mr Habib said it would become clear in the next 24 hours if Hezbollah are planning to respond as he voiced his concerns over a potential deadlier war breaking out as Lebanon try to calm down the groups irate leaders.
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