Over 100 killed in blasts at commemorative parade in Southern Iran UPDATED

Two blasts occurred at an event held in Iran’s southern city of Kerman in commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the martyrdom of late commander Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, killing at least 103 people and injuring 188 of others on January 3.

The first blast happened at 15:04 local time as people were packed on a road leading to a cemetery where the tomb of General Soleimani is located the Tasnim news agency reports.

The second blast occurred 13 minutes later.

Reports suggest that at least 103 people, including children, have died in the twin blasts, and 188 others have been wounded.

Provincial officials have described the incident as a terrorist attack.

Meantime, sources told a Tasnim reporter in Kerman that the perpetrator or perpetrators of the attack have exploded two explosive-laden suitcases with remote controllers.

Aso, dozens of people were injured in a stampede in a state of panic after the blasts.

17:31

Two terrorist blasts in Iran’s southeastern city of Kerman have left 73 people dead and 171 more injured.

The explosions occurred near the burial site of martyred Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, where people had flocked to mark his fourth martyrdom anniversary, Daily Sabah reports.

Ambulances have rushed to the location.

According to Iranian media, the first explosion occurred some 700 meters from the grave of General Soleimani and the second one about one kilometre away.

Iranian media cited unnamed sources as saying that two bomb-laden suitcases that were detonated by remote control caused the explosions.

The first explosion occurred at 14:50 local time, and the second took place 15 minutes later. Some people were injured during a crowd crush following the first explosion. Officials say all the injured have been transferred to hospitals and the situation is under control.

General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions were assassinated in a US drone strike authorized by then-US President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.