Iran holds mass funeral for victims of US-Israel school attack

Thousands Gather in Minab for Mass Funeral Ceremony

A mass funeral ceremony was held in Minab, Iran, on Tuesday to mourn the loss of 165 schoolgirls and staff who were killed in an attack on a girls’ school in the southern city. The incident occurred on Saturday, following joint strikes by the US and Israel on Iranian targets.

The Israeli military has claimed it was not aware of any attacks in that area. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US and Israel of killing the schoolgirls, stating that their bodies were “torn to shreds.” Authorities have called for international action and solidarity after several hospitals and schools were impacted by the strikes.

The crowd at the funeral ceremony included thousands of people, with men waving the Islamic Republic flag and women draped in black chadors. A woman who identified herself as the mother of one of the victims held up a printed image of portraits, calling it “a document of American crimes.” The crowd erupted into chants of “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” and “No surrender.”

The incident has been condemned by the United Nations culture and education agency UNESCO and Nobel Peace Prize-winning education activist Malala Yousafzai. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US would not deliberately target a school, but acknowledged that the department was investigating reports of civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that the two countries “continue to indiscriminately strike residential areas.” The incident is being investigated by the UN and other international bodies.

Source: Al Jazeera