Soleimani's funeral procession brings out thousands in Baghdad

Thousands gathered Saturday in Baghdad for the funeral procession of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' elite Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. airstrike this week in Iraq. His death has heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the latter vowing to retaliate for the strike.

Many of the mourners were reportedly militia members donning their military fatigues, and anti-American and anti-Israel chants could be heard coming from the crowd. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who has announced his resignation after a series of anti-government protests, and Iraqi militia commander Hadi al-Amiri attended the procession, which also honored Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and other Iraqis killed alongside Soleimani in the strike.

Soleimani's body will reportedly make its way to Iran by Sunday after it's carried to Shiite holy sites in Iraq. The general's image has reportedly appeared on billboards on major streets in Iran, and a ceremony honoring him took place at a mosque in the Shiite holy city of Qom. Read more at The Associated Press and Reuters.

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