Bombings hit event for Iran’s Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a shadowy figure slain in 2020 US drone strike

By NASSER KARIMI and JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — For Iranians backing the country’s theocracy, Gen. Qassem Soleimani represented a popular figure of national resilience in the face of four decades of U.S. pressure. For the U.S. and Israel, he was a shadowy figure in command of Iran’s proxy forces, responsible for fighters in Syria backing President Bashar Assad and for the deaths of American troops in Iraq. A U.S. drone strike killed Soleimani and others as they traveled from Baghdad’s international airport on Jan. 3, 2020. His name again drew international attention on Wednesday, as two bombings targeting a commemoration marking the fourth anniversary of his slaying killed at least 84 people and wounded 284 others.