Qasem Soleimani funeral: 35 killed, 48 injured in stampede

Several people have been killed in a stampede as Iranians flocked to the hometown of a top commander killed in a US drone strike for his burial.

The exact toll is unconfirmed but emergency officials confirmed that there had been deaths.

Qasem Soleimani is being laid to rest in Kerman, with millions already estimated to have packed the streets for funeral processions.

His killing has raised fears of a conflict between the US and Iran.

Soleimani was widely considered the second most powerful man in Iran behind Supreme Leader Khamenei. The US saw him as a terrorist and a threat to American troops.

President Trump adopted a tough stance against Iran after his election and Tehran responded with their own campaign. Tensions were raised further last month after the US attacked an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq it blamed for attacks on US forces.

Soleimani was head of the Quds force, the overseas branch of the Revolutionary Guards. He was killed leaving Baghdad airport on Friday.

In his homeland, Soleimani was hailed as a national hero.

But he was also hardliner and a dominant force in a state that shot dead scores of protesters at the end of 2019.

Soleimani supported Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil conflict, aided the Shia militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, and guided Iraqi militia groups against the Islamic State group.

Justifying the strike President Trump said Soleimani was plotting “imminent” attacks on US diplomats and military personnel.

Via BBC