Qasem Soleimani Killed Near Baghdad Airport

Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, and several of his companions were killed on the morning of Friday, December 13 (January 3, 2020) near Baghdad Airport. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the news, and the U.S. Department of Defense stated that the operation was carried out on the orders of Donald Trump.

On the morning of Friday, December 13 (January 3, 2020), a vehicle carrying Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani and his companions near Baghdad Airport “came under attack by U.S. Army helicopters.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Islamic Republic in a statement, while announcing this news, confirmed that in this attack several of his companions as well as commanders and militiamen of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were killed.

The Popular Mobilization Forces group, an organization of Shiite militiamen supported by the Islamic Republic, announced in a tweet that Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of this group and one of Qasem Soleimani’s companions, was killed in Friday morning’s attack.

Attack Following Airport Reception

It is said that Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and several senior commanders of the Popular Mobilization Forces had gone to Baghdad International Airport to receive Qasem Soleimani, who likely traveled to Iraq from Syria or Lebanon.

The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) in a statement called the attack on the convoy carrying Soleimani and his companions “a decisive defensive action” and announced that this was carried out on the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump and to protect “American personnel.”

In recent weeks, attacks on bases housing American forces and forces supported by the U.S. in the international coalition against the terrorist group ISIS in Iraq have increased, and Washington has identified Tehran and the militiamen it supports, such as the Kataib Hezbollah group, as responsible for these attacks.

On Sunday, in retaliation for an attack on a base in Kirkuk in which an American civilian contractor was killed, the U.S. attacked three bases of Kataib Hezbollah battalions in Iraq and two of their bases in Syria. In these attacks, 25 people including four senior commanders of the group were killed and more than 55 were wounded.

Following these tensions, members and supporters of the Kataib Hezbollah group and other organizations aligned with the Popular Mobilization Forces attacked the U.S. Embassy building in Baghdad on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing damage to it.

Qasem Soleimani, who along with the Quds Force and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is on the U.S. terrorist list, was considered the most influential figure of the Islamic Republic in the region. It is said that he played a key role in determining and advancing this country’s policies in the region.

Zarif’s Warning, Rezaei’s Threat

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister, in a tweet called Qasem Soleimani’s killing the result of American “international terrorism” and warned that the responsibility for the consequences of this “extremely dangerous” action rests with the United States.

Mohsen Rezaei, former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and current secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, also threatened in a tweet that “we will take severe revenge on America.” In another message, by publishing a photo of himself and Soleimani during the Iran-Iraq War, he “congratulated and condoled” on the killing of the Quds Force commander.

Shortly after confirming the news of the attack on Qasem Soleimani’s convoy, Donald Trump posted an image of the American flag in a wordless tweet.