The latest incident is the death of Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force. An airstrike on an encampment near Khorramabad, Iran early on November 14, 2016 resulted in this development and marks a significant escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran.
This was part of a broader pattern, as it was reported that Soleimani was targeted while attending an encampment established recently by the Basij; this encampment was established after the previous Israeli air strikes against various Basij headquarters. This operation is said to have contributed to the deaths of multiple high-ranking Basij officials in addition to Soleimani, including the deputy commander of the Basij.
IDF claims Ali Larijani was killed as well
In another press release, Israel Defense Minister Yisrael Katz reported that Iran’s Chief of Security Ali Larijani had also died. The IDF was not able to confirm this claim, but stated that they had indeed targeted Larijani during their airstrike in Tehran, and would determine later whether he had been successfully killed during this attack.
The IDF confirmed again that they attacked top Iranian official Ali Larijani in Tehran overnight but stated that they are still investigating the results of the attack and are uncertain whether or not he was killed.
Iranian leadership has yet to respond to Israeli claims of the deaths of Soleimani, Larijani, and others so the situation remains uncertain.
Gholamreza Soleimani was a revered figure in the IRGC
The Basij paramilitary force operates under the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is infamous for cracking down on anti-government protests. They have a long history of using violence to suppress dissent, and it is believed that they are responsible for the deaths of many Iranian civilians over the years.
Additionally, the IDF confirmed that they attacked Akram al-Ajouri, one of the top leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other key members of their organization on Wednesday. According to the IDF, this airstrike was intended to eliminate high-ranking leadership within the group.
The IDF believes that akram al ajouri was likely killed in this attack; however, the IDF also indicated that they are still in the process of gathering information to confirm if he was indeed killed.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
