Hundreds of thousands of mourners are gathering for the funeral of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani

REUTERS/Wissm al-Okili

• Hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected to turn out to the funeral procession of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Saturday.
• Soleimani was killed by a US airstrike outside Baghdad airport on Thursday evening, massively escalating the tensions between Iran and the US.
• The funeral is also for the others killed in the strike, including Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
• Soleimani's remains will be returned to Iran on Sunday morning, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will lead a prayer ceremony for him in Tehran.
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Thousands of people started lining the streets of Baghdad on Saturday ahead of the funeral of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general killed by a US drone strike on Thursday evening.

Soleimani was the commander of the elite Quds military force, and was instrumental in much of Iran's foreign policy in the Middle East, including sending Iranian troops to support President Assad in Syria. His killing triggered three days of official national mourning.

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• Iran's supreme leader warns a 'harsh retaliation is waiting' for the US, after an American airstrike killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani

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