Tehran, Iran

Iranian state media reported on Thursday (Jan 11) that the intelligence ministry had identified a top suspect associated with the recent twin blasts that killed nearly 100 people and injured dozens. The suspect has been described as a ringleader and bomb

Advertisment

maker, The Associated Press reported. 

The blasts rocked the Iranian city of Kerman, which is about 820 kilometres southeast of the capital, Tehran. The death toll from the attack rose to 94 on Thursday.

Iran previously said that two suicide bombers targeted a commemoration for Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general slain in a 2020 US drone strike in Iraq on January 3. 

Advertisment

Also read: Iran navy says seized oil tanker in Gulf of Oman 

Iran-based Tasnim news agency had reported that the first blast happened at 15:04 pm (local time) when people were on a road leading to a cemetery where the tomb of Soleimani is located. The second blast occurred around 13 minutes later. 

As reported by the official IRNA news agency, a statement by the intelligence ministry noted that the main suspect who planned the bombing was a Tajik national known by his alias Abdollah Tajiki. 

Advertisment

IRNA reported that the suspect had entered the country in mid-December by crossing the southeast border. He left two days before the attack after making the bombs. 

Watch: Israeli strikes on central and southern Gaza 

×

The report also identified one of the bombers by his family name, Bozrov, stating that he was 24 years old and held Tajik and Israeli citizenship. 

It further stated that he came to Iran by crossing the southern border following months of IS training in Afghanistan. It added that the authorities were still trying to identify the second suicide bomber. 

Also read: Israel reacts to genocide accusations, calls South Africa 'legal arm' of Hamas 

The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for the twin bombings. In its claim, it had identified the two bombers as Omar al-Mowahed and Seif-Allah al-Mujahed. 

So far, the Iranian authorities have arrested 35 people across several provinces with purported links to the bombings.