PRESS:
Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), have been killed in US airstrikes in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
The IRGC announced in a statement on Friday morning that Major General Soleimani and al-Muhandis were martyred in the attack carried out by US helicopters.
The Iraqi pro-government group also confirmed the incident.
“The deputy head of the Hashed, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and head of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, were killed in a US strike that targeted their car on the Baghdad International Airport road,” it said in a statement on Friday.
“The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani,” said Ahmed al-Assadi, a PMU spokesman.
The group had earlier said that its public relations director Mohammed Reza al-Jaberi and four other members of the group were also killed after three Katyusha rockets struck a military base next to Baghdad International Airport in the Iraqi capital.
CNN:
Iranian military leader killed. Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force unit, was killed in an airstrike at Baghdad airport on Friday morning. The deputy head of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-backed paramilitary force, was also killed.
Trump ordered the strike. The US has claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it was aimed at preventing future Iranian attack plans.
Iran calls for revenge. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to avenge Soleimani whom he called a martyr.
Ongoing conflict. The strike comes after PMF supporters and members attempted to storm the US embassy in Baghdad.