India on Thursday expressed solidarity with Iran which was hit by two bomb blasts on Wednesday. New spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal expressed his shock at the twin bombings that occurred at a rally in honour of General Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, Iran. While condemning the deadly bombings, he said, “We are shocked and saddened by the terrible bombings in the Kerman City of Iran. At this difficult time, we express our solidarity with the government and people of Iran.”
The attack carried out by “unspecified terrorists” took place during a rally in honour of former general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Qasem Soleimani, who was considered the most influential figure after the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to news agency AFP, the rally was organised to mark the fourth anniversary of his assassination. The procession was 700 metres away from his grave at Kerman’s Martyr’s Cemetery when the first explosion occurred. The second bomb, which was detonated 15-20 minutes later, dealt the most damage, reported Iranian state television. It was evident that the delayed bombing, often a tactic used by militants, was targeted at emergency personnel dealing with the attack and wreak greater casualties.
The initial death toll was reportedly recorded at 103. However, it was lowered to 95 by Iran Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi as the numbers were inflated due to some of the victims’ names being repeated on the list.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but the attack was suspected to have been carried out by Iran's enemies in the region, which include militant organisations, exile groups, and state actors, as per AP.
Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s President referred to the bombings as a “heinous and inhuman crime.” Iran’s top authority Supreme leader Khamenei while vowing for revenge for the bloody explosions said,” Cruel criminals… must know that they will be strongly dealt with from now on and... undoubtedly there will be a harsh response.”
Soleimani was killed on January 3, 2020, in a US drone strike ordered by US President Donald Trump, in the neighbouring country of Iraq. Although he was characterized as “the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world, he held an important position as the commander of the Quds Force and the Revolutionary Guards. Iran considered him a prominent figure and he played a critical role in shaping Iranian policies all over the country. He was also responsible for managing Quds covert operations and administering funding, weapons, and logistical support to allies like Hamas and Hezbollah.