How Qassem Soleimani was targeted by 230 mph laser guided Hellfire missile fired from near-silent US MQ-9 Reaper drone after years of intelligence tracking his whereabouts
Qassem Soleimani, 62, was targeted as he was leaving Baghdad airport in his car
A near-silent US MQ-9 Reaper drone launched the laser-guided Hellfire missile
Soleimani was under near-constant surveillance by US, Saudi and Israeli forces
He had survived several assassination attempts over the past 20 years
He had escaped many previous assassination attempts. But Qassem Soleimani had little warning of the deadly missiles which targeted his car with pinpoint accuracy as he was leaving Baghdad airport.
A near-silent US MQ-9 Reaper drone launched the laser-guided weapons at the two-car convoy, killing the overall , an Iraqi militia commander and their entourage.
The White House said the air strike was administered ‘at the direction’ of President Donald Trump, who tweeted a picture of the US flag hours after the attack.
He gave the orders with none apparent warning to his Western allies, including Britain, or to senior Democrats within the US. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US made an ‘intelligence-based assessment’ to save lots of American lives within the region amid reports Soleimani was ‘actively plotting’ attacks.
Moments later, because the cars skilled a cargo deck on an slip road out of the airport, the convoy was hit by up to four missiles.
Grainy black and white CCTV footage showed a huge explosion which instantly reduced the vehicles to twisted metal.
Soleimani’s bloodied remains were identified within the debris only by a particular ring he wore. Iran’s state media said ten were killed within the attack, including four senior Iranian military aides, four Iraqi militia leaders and al-Muhandis.
Hunter-killer drone struck at 230mph
Local militia commander Abu Muntather al-Hussaini said two missiles hit the car carrying Soleimani, 62, and al-Muhandis, 66. The second car was struck by one missile. They were said to possess been launched by an unmanned MQ-9 ‘hunter-killer’ drone sent from the US Central Command headquarters in Qatar.
Piloted by a two-man crew many miles away, the 230mph drone can perform precision strikes and relay images of the attack to commanders anywhere within the world. The $64million (£49million) Reaper carries four laser-guided Hellfire missiles with 38lb warheads capable of destroying a tank, along side Paveway bombs.
Aviation experts said its flight was ‘nearly silent’, meaning its intended victims would have had little or no warning of its approach.
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