BAGHDAD, IRAQ — General Qassim Soleimani, head of Iran's expeditionary Quds Force, was killed early Friday by a U.S. drone that fired missiles into his convoy near Baghdad International Airport.
The U.S. military has confirmed that it carried out the attack.
The Times of Israel reports that a MQ-9 Reaper drone fired four missiles into two cars and destroyed the vehicles on the airport's access road.
Citing local media sources, the paper reports that the blast tore Soleimani apart and the general was later identified by the ring he wore on his hand.
The strike killed Soleimani, his son-in-law and five Iranian Revolutionary Guards members.
According to the New York Times, several Tehran-backed Iraqi militia leaders in the convoy were also killed.
The Times of Israel reported 10 fatalities for the airstrike.
The Washington Examiner reports that the MQ-9 drone was favored for its quiet propellers and loitering capabilities.
Citing debris analysis by independent observers, Forbes reports that the missiles utilized could be the JAGM, a missile type that adds advanced sensors to the Hellfire missile.