Victims Laid to Rest
Raisi vows revenge at ‘appropriate time, place’ Several arrested over Daesh bombings in Kerman
National Desk
Iran held a funeral on Friday for the 89 people killed in the Daesh suicide bombings in the southern province of Kerman, with the president warning that the armed forces will retaliate for the attacks at the appropriate time and place.
The funeral took place at the Imam Ali Mosque in Kerman, where crowds gathered in front of dozens of coffins wrapped in the Iranian flag.
The suicide bombings struck crowds in the southern city, where many had gathered on Wednesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the US assassination of Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani – the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
The attack killed 89 people, raising an earlier toll following the deaths of several of the wounded.
The victims include multiple women and children and at least a dozen Afghan nationals.
Speaking at the funeral ceremony of the victims of the blasts on Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that Iran’s armed forces will retaliate for the terrorist attacks at the appropriate time and place.
“I assure the people that the initiative is in the hands of our forces and that the time and place will be determined by our forces,” he said.
“The enemy has seen and experienced the power of the Islamic Republic many times and I assure you that the enemy will see the power of the Islamic Republic concerning the latest cases.”
In a statement published Thursday on Telegram, the Daesh terrorist group said two of its members “activated their explosives vests” at the gathering.
US and Israeli mercenaries
Daesh “has disappeared nowadays,” said IRGC chief Hossein Salami during the funeral ceremony, arguing the terrorists “only act as mercenaries” for US and Israeli interests.
The United States rejected any suggestion that it or its ally Israel were behind the bombings, while Israel did not comment.
Salami vowed that Iran “will find you wherever you are,” referring to any Daesh members behind the bombing plot.
Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV that “some individuals involved in the attack have been arrested,” without elaborating.
The site of the explosions was 1.5km and 2.7km from the burial place of Gen. Soleimani, where it was not possible to pass through the inspection gates in the area.
Iranian investigators had already confirmed that the first blast at least was the work of a “suicide bomber” and believed the trigger for the second was “very probably another suicide bomber,” the official news agency IRNA had reported earlier, citing an “informed source”.
Global condemnations
The terrorist attack has drawn condemnations from many countries and international bodies.
The United Nations Security Council in a statement issued on Thursday condemned the terrorist attack on Wednesday.
“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the cowardly terrorist attack in the city of Kerman, the Islamic Republic of Iran on 3 January.”
Expressing condolences to the families of the victims and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the UN body added, “The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.”
The Security Council urged all states to cooperate actively with the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to punish the criminals responsible for carrying out the terrorist act.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also issued a statement on Wednesday “strongly” condemning the terrorist attack in Kerman.
“The secretary-general strongly condemns the attack today on a memorial ceremony in Kerman city in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The secretary-general calls for those responsible to be held accountable,” deputy spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino told reporters.
The European Union’s high representative also issued a statement on behalf of the EU.
It said the EU condemns in the strongest terms the bombing in the city of Kerman in Iran. This shocking act of terror has cost the lives of innocent civilians, with many injured.
The EU expresses its solidarity with the Iranian people. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
Pope Francis also expressed his heartfelt condolences, sorrow, and prayers for those who were killed or injured by explosions in Kerman and for those who mourn their loss.
Leaders from Russia, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and other countries from across the globe have likewise voiced strong condemnation of the atrocity.