At least 103 people were killed in two bombings close to the memorial site of Qasem Soleimani, a former general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The attack occurred on the fourth anniversary of Soleimani's assassination, reported news agency AFP.
News agency AP quoted local media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting that around 170 people sustained injuries during the explosions, which targeted a procession near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in Kerman, a city in the southern region of Iran. The deputy governor of Kerman called the incident a "terrorist attack" reported British media website BBC.
Videos shared online showed several bodies strewn across a road. According to AP, the second blast occurred within 15 minutes of the first, indicating that it could have been triggered to target rescue and security personnel responding to the initial explosion.
The incident occurred as hundreds participated in a procession on Wednesday to honour General Soleimani. He was killed in a US drone strike in neighbouring Iraq in 2020.
General Soleimani held an important position in Iran and was considered to be the most influential figure after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. As the commander of the Quds Force, the overseas operations branch of the Revolutionary Guards, Soleimani played a key role in shaping Iranian policies throughout the region.
His responsibilities included overseeing the Quds Force's covert operations and providing strategic direction, funding, weapons, intelligence, and logistical support to allied governments and armed groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
The 2020 assassination, ordered by then-US President Donald Trump, led to the characterization of Soleimani as "the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world."
AP said that Iran has multiple enemy presence in the region, including "exile groups, militant organisations and state actors". Iran supports the Hamas militants and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which could also have had a cascading effect leading to the attack on Wednesday.