Afghan officials, people sympathize with Iranians over assassination of Gen. Soleimani
TEHRAN - A large number of Afghan officials, politicians and people have gone to Iran’s embassy in Kabul and consul general in Herat to extend their condolences to the Iranian nation and government over assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
Soleimani, the chief of the IRGC Quds Force, was martyred in a terrorist attack by the U.S. military in Baghdad on Friday morning. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU), and some other forces were also martyred in the attack.
Abdullah Abdullah, the executive head of Afghanistan’s national government, paid a visit to the Iranian embassy in Kabul to sign a book in commemoration of the top military commander.
Hundreds of officials, politicians and ordinary people have also went to the Iranian embassy to express condolences and sympathy with the Iranian nation over the terrorist attack.
In Harat province, western Afghanistan, former commander Mohammad Esmayeil Khan as well as a number of provincial officials visited the Iranian consul general to mark the Soleimani martyrdom.
According to the Pentagon, General Soleimani was killed on Trump’s order. He was assassinated in an air raid on Baghdad airport on January 3.
Since January 3, Iranians and Iraqis, in huge numbers, have been mourning his martyrdom.
On Saturday, massive funeral ceremonies were held in the Iraqi cities of Kadhimiya, Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf for General Soleimani and al-Muhandis. Iraqi dignitaries including Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi participated in the funeral procession in Baghdad.
On Sunday, millions of angry mourners participated in separate funeral ceremonies held in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and the northeastern city of Mashhad.
The funeral processions to honor the general first started in Ahvaz, after his remains arrived from Iraq.
Soleimani, who is internationally recognized as the champion of war on terrorism, is called "the General of the Hearts".
On Monday morning, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei performed the Islamic funeral prayer for Soleimani and his martyred companions at the University of Tehran.
Millions of Tehraners participated in the funeral ceremony.
Another funeral ceremony was held for the martyr general in the shrine city of Qom on Monday afternoon.
On Tuesday, funeral and burial ceremonies were held for the general in Kerman, Soleimani’s hometown, but due to flock of mourners and following a stampede, the burial ceremony was postponed.
MJ/PA