A statue of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has been torched hours after it was unveiled by officials to mark the second anniversary of his assassination.
Soleimani was the head of the Quds force, Iran’s foreign operations arm, and was also killed in an attack by the US on Baghdad Airport. He was also killed with an Iraqi lieutenant.
He was honored by a monument unveiled at Hazrat Qamarbani Hashem Square of Shahrekord, in southwest Iran.
However, it was set on fire by evening, ISNA reported. They called it an “unspeakable act” by anonymous individuals.
Senior Muslim cleric Mohammad Ali Nekounam stated that Soleimani’s treacherous act was committed in darkness just as the other at-night crime at Baghdad Airport. This statement was made by Iran’s state media.
Since Soleimani’s assassination in Iran two years ago many sculptures have been unveiled by Iranian authorities. Portraits of the respected commander are also found throughout Iran.
Hours after the statue was unveiled in Shahrekord (central Iran), to commemorate his second anniversary, it was torched.
A statue in honour of Qassem Soleimani was unveiled Wednesday morning in Hazrat Qamarbani Hashem Square, Shahrekord in southwestern Iran.
IRIB, the Iranian state broadcaster, condemned this latest attack. It comes at the same time that Iran celebrates Soleimani’s second anniversary.
Saudi Arabia’s Arab News reported the statue was torched by Iranian opposition movement the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, though this was not confirmed.
The English language daily cited Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, saying the ‘resistance units’ torched the statue because they ‘despised Soleimani’.
Qassem Soleimani (head of Iran’s foreign operations arm, Revolutionary Guards) was shot and killed in the drone attack at Baghdad’s Baghdad airport with an Iraqi lieutenant. This ceremony marked the 2nd anniversary of Solemani’s passing.
Iranian women hold photos of Qassem Solimani during the ceremony marking his second anniversary on January 3, 2003
On Thursday, Iranians paid tribute to 250 of the ‘unknown martyrs’ who were killed during the Iran-Iraq conflict in 1980-1988.
AFP reporters reported that Ceremonies took place across the country.
We are constantly suffering the loss of martyrs such as Hajj Qassem [Soleimani]”They all fought on frontlines with their hearts,” Ali Asghar from Tehran said.