TEHRAN – The death toll from explosions that occurred in Kerma during mourning processions commemorating the fourth anniversary of the death of General Qasem Soleimani has risen to 103, according to the Young Journalists Club (YJC) citing emergency services of the republic. “The head of the emergency services in Kerma stated that after the death of several… the number of victims increased to 103 as a result of the explosions during a terrorist attack on the road leading to the Shahada Cemetery. The number of injured is 141, some of whom are in critical condition,” the report said. Later, the IRIB broadcasting corporation clarified that the number of injured had risen to 211. Local authorities have described the incident as a terrorist attack. According to the Iranian state agency Tasnim, two bags with bombs were found at the entrance to the Gulzar mausoleum building in the cemetery, which were presumably detonated using a remote device. On the night of January 3, 2020, the United States carried out an operation in Baghdad to eliminate the commander of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, and the deputy head of the Iraqi Shiite militia, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. In Washington, they are considered to be involved in the organization of the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad on December 31, 2019. In response, Iran struck American bases in Iraq, including Ain al-Asad. Initially, the then US President Donald Trump and the Pentagon leadership stated that there were no casualties after the attack. However, the military had to admit that there were injured, and their number constantly increased.
