Iran vows 'harsh response' following bomb attack that left over 100 dead
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi visits an injured man following the attack
Reuters
Iran has vowed a "harsh response" following a bomb attack that left over 100 people dead.
Isis claimed responsibility for the attack that took the lives of 103 people on Wednesday.
According to Iran's Red Crescent, among those killed were three paramedics who rushed to the scene after the first explosion and were killed in the second one.
A further 181 were wounded, with some in critical condition.
103 people lost their lives following the attack
Reuters
Islamic State used two bombers to carry out the attack in the southern city of Kerman.
The two men have been named as Omar al-Muwahid and Sayfullah al-Mujahid and used remote controls to detonate the bombs that had been placed in bags.
The blasts took place about 15 minutes apart near the Martyrs Cemetery near the Saheb-al Zaman Mosque.
Supporters had gathered there to mark Qasem Soleimani's death, who had been assassinated in 2020 by an American drone strike.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Mourners took to the streets following the attack
Reuters
In a statement on Telegram, the group said two of its members "activated their explosive vests" at the gathering.
Footage that has surfaced online shows panicked crowds scrambling to flee as the emergency services cordoned off the area.
Iranian state television showed victims covered in blood lying on the ground as paramedics rushed to help them.
President Ebrahim Raisi declared Thursday a national day of mourning and condemned the "heinous" crime.
Iran’s Head of Judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, released a statement saying: “The agents and perpetrators of this grievous crime will undoubtedly be punished.
“Responsible intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies are obligated to promptly pursue all the evidence and perpetrators and hand them over to the judiciary”.
Iran originally blamed the US and Israel for the attack, before Washington denied any involvement on America or Israel's part.
Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement on Wednesday, saying: "Cruel criminals must know that they will be strongly dealt with from now on and undoubtedly there will be a harsh response."