City
Epaper

Soleimani's remains arrive in Iran

By IANS | Updated: January 5, 2020 12:10 IST

The remains of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike, has arrived in Iran, where he will be laid to rest later this week.

Open in App

A massive funeral procession was held on Sunday morning in Ahvaz, the main city in Iran's eight-year battle against the forces of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein which shaped Soleimani's future as an austere military tactician, the Tehran-based Press TV said in a report.

From Ahvaz, the procession will head to the holy city of Mashhad later in the day and from there to Tehran and finally reach Soleimani's hometown Kerman where his burial will be held on Tuesday.

Along with Soliemani's remains, the body of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Front (PMF) who was also killed in the Friday airstrike, was also brought to Iran for DNA testing, Press TV reported.

After the testing, Muhandis's remains will be returned to Iraq's Najaf city for burial.

On Saturday, a huge crowd of mourners, waving Iraqi and militia flags and chanting "death to America", in Iraq's capital Baghdad participated in a funeral procession held for both Soleimani and Muhandis.

Besides Baghdad, people also took to the streets of the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.

A total of 10 people five Iraqis and five Iran were killed in the January 3 airstrike, which was ordered by US President Donald Trump, that hit their motorcade just outside Baghdad airport.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani have vowed to retaliate against the US over Soleimani's death.

The airstrike came after Iraqi protesters on December 31 stormed the US embassy compound in Baghdad to protest the American air raids conducted on December 29 against five bases of Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, claiming the lives of 25 people.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: IraqiranBaghdadSoleimaniMuhandis
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalIndia Condemns Attack on Indian-Flagged Ship Off Oman Coast, Says Crew Members Safe

InternationalGlobal Fuel Crisis Deepens Amid Iran War: Where India Stands as Crude Oil Prices Surge

NationalPM Narendra Modi Strongly Condemns Fujairah Drone Attack in UAE, Calls It ‘Unacceptable’

InternationalTrump Warns Iran of Fresh US Strikes if Tehran ‘Misbehaves’ Amid Deal Review

InternationalDonald Trump Hellhole Remarks: Iran’s Mumbai Consulate Takes Dig at the US President With Cultural Jab

International Realted Stories

InternationalPM Modi holds bilateral meeting with Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen of 3rd India-Nordic Summit

InternationalPM Modi holds talks with Finnish counterpart Petteri Orpo in Norway

InternationalRajnath Singh calls on Vietnamese President To Lam, reaffirms defence ties

InternationalDefence Minister Singh holds high-level defence talks, meets Vietnam President during visit

InternationalPM Modi's Europe outreach brings tech, geopolitical gains for India