Tracked for years…wiped out by a drone: How Qassem Soleimani was targeted by 230mph 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 two decades

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 a single missile. They were said to have 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 hundreds of miles away, the 230mph drone can carry out precision strikes and relay images of the attack to commanders anywhere in the world. The $64million (£49million) Reaper carries four laser-guided Hellfire missiles with 38lb warheads capable of destroying a tank, along with Paveway bombs.

Aviation experts said its flight was ‘nearly silent’, meaning its intended victims would have had little or no warning of its approach.