The Irani media say that the death toll may go up as thousands of people were present there to offer funeral of Iran’s top commander Qassem Soleimani.
TEHRAN: (Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Jan 7th, 2020) At least 35 people died and 50 others got injured as a result of stampede in a funeral gathering for Iran Top Genera Qassem Soleimani here on Tuesday.
According to Irani media, the death toll could rise as thousands of people gathered there to offer funeral prayer for General Qassem Soleimani—who was killed by the US airstrike at Baghdad international airport.
It was final funeral prayer for General Qassem Soleimani before his burial in Kerman province of Iran—the area where he belonged to. Earlier, he was given state level funeral after his body was taken from Iraq where thousands of people offered funeral prayer of General Soleimani.
General Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top commander, was killed in a US airstrike in Baghdad on Friday. He was the head of Iran’s Elite Quds Force.
The Pentagon said that US President Donald Trump ordered killing of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani after a pro-Iranian mob set US embassy on fire in Baghdad. The US declared this killing as “defensive action”.
“This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,” said Pentagon in a statement.
According to media reports, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iraqi paramilitary group Hashd Shaabi, was also killed in the US Air-Strike.
"The deputy head of the Hashd, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and head of the Quds Force, Qassim Soleimani, were killed in a US strike that targeted their car on the Baghdad International Airport road," Hashed Shaabi, also known as the Popular Moblization Forces (PMF), said in a statement early Friday.
The PMF also said that five of its members and two guests were killed in an airstrike on their vehicles on the ground of Baghdad International Airport on Friday. Later, Iraq’s military-run-Security Media Cell issued a statement that three Kayusha rockets hit the airport.
According to Iraq Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Mohammed Reda al-Jaberi, who was the militia's protocol officer and head of public relations, is also among the dead.
