Death toll rises to hundreds, Tehran says terrorism, Venezuela speaks out

The explosion occurred as thousands of people gathered to commemorate the senior commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in an airstrike in Baghdad (Iraq) on January 3, 2020.

Nhiều người đến dự lễ tưởng niệm tướng Iran Soleimani vào ngày 3/1. (Nguồn: IRNA)

Thousands of people attended the memorial service for General Soleimani held at Karrman cemetery, resulting in a large number of casualties. (Source: IRNA)

The death toll from a terrorist attack near Kerman cemetery on January 3 has risen to 103, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA .

Another 141 people were injured, some of them in critical condition, IRNA added.

The death toll rose as the number of people injured in the two consecutive explosions increased. Initially, Nournews reported that several gas cylinders had exploded on the road leading to the cemetery and that relevant agencies were monitoring the situation.

However, according to an anonymous 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 many 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”.

Venezuela's foreign minister 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 commemorate senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in an airstrike on his convoy at the international airport in Baghdad (Iraq) on January 3, 2020.

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