Pentagon confirms US forces killed top Iranian commander Soleimani
This combination of file photos shows a handout picture provided by the office of the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on June 4, 2019 of commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Qasem Soleimani (left) in Tehran; and a file photo taken on December 31, 2019 of Abu Mahdi al-Muhamdis, the deputy top leader of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces, attending a funeral procession in Baghdad.
A picture published by the media office of the Iraqi military's joint operations forces on their official Facebook page shows a destroyed vehicle on fire following a US strike on January 3, 2020 on Baghdad international airport road.
An attack by the US forces near Baghdad International Airport on Friday has killed senior Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.
According to Iran's official news agency IRNA, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued a statement confirming the death of Soleimani, saying, "Honorable Commander of Islam Qasem Soleimani was martyred after a US airstrike today."
The US Department of Defense announced on Thursday night that the US forces had made a strike that killed Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's IRGC.
"At the direction of the President (Donald Trump), the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani," said the Pentagon in a statement.
A security source and lawmaker anonymously told Xinhua that "eight people, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, were killed in the attack on a military base near Baghdad International Airport."
Previous reports said three rockets targeting the airport struck two vehicles nearby, killing at least seven people, namely five Iraqi militia members and "two guests" in the cars.
Two of the dead were Iranian nationals, the source confirmed to Xinhua.
Soleimani was an Iranian Major General in Iran's IRGC, and was the commander since 1998 who was primarily responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations.
Al-Muhandis was one of the Iran-backed paramilitary leaders in Iraq. He was the de facto commander of the Hashd Shaabi Forces in Iraq who headed the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades as well.
Soleimani has once said that the IRGC forces would be able to deal with any war with the United States.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed his condolences over the death of Soleimani and called for three days of mourning. He vowed "harsh revenge awaits" those who killed Soleimani.
After the attack, Iraqi lawmaker Mish'aan al-Jubouri, who had a close relationship with al-Muhandis, said in a tweet that "I mourn my brother, the rebellious, the dear and loyal friend whom I have always watched defying death."
The attack came after supporters of the Hashd Shaabi militias stormed the perimeter of the US Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Local media aired photos showing al-Muhandis participating in the protest with Qais al-Khazali, head of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous) militia, and Hashd Shaabi's top leader Hadi Al Amri.
On Sunday evening, US forces bombarded the headquarters of Hashd Shaabi's 45th and 46th Brigades, killing 25 and injuring 51 more.
