A general of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has been killed in a US airstrike on the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
Iraqi state television confirmed Friday that General Qassem Soleimani was killed while traveling in his convoy near Baghdad Airport.
“At the direction of the president, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qassem Soleimani,” US State Department stated late Thursday.
According to The Hill, Soleimani was the commander of the elite Quds Force, a special forces brigade within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for Iran’s extraterritorial military operations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reacted on Twitter, warning of escalation.
“The US act of international terrorism targeting and assassinating General Soleimani is extremely dangerous and a foolish escalation,” Zarif tweeted.
He said, “The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.”
The attack on Soleimani followed US airstrikes earlier this week on targets in Iraq and Syria connected to the Tehran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militant group.
The airstrikes sparked violent protests on Tuesday and Wednesday targeting the US embassy in Baghdad that resulted in extensive damage to the compound.
Be the first to comment