Iranian general killed in US airstrike to be buried in hometown
dpa
TEHRAN (dpa)- Qassem Soleimani, the top Iranian general killed by a US airstrike in Baghdad last week, is to be buried in his hometown of Kerman in south-eastern Iran on Tuesday.
The day was declared a public holiday in Kerman, a move aimed at encouraging as many people as possible to pay their respects to Soleimani, who is being venerated as a martyr in Iran.
Large funeral processions were held in several other Iranian cities on Monday, with media reporting that millions gathered in Tehran to mourn Soleimani. The ceremony in the capital was led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who appeared emotional as he prayed over the general's casket.
Soleimani was commander of Iran's elite Quds Force and was considered one of Iran's most influential military leaders, wielding influence in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the Middle East.
The US operation that killed Soleimani angered Iran and Iraq and has been met with a vow of retaliation from Tehran.
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