The pro-Iranian Shiite organization „Hezbollah“ organized a large-scale collective funeral for about 40 of its fighters in southern Lebanon.
The ceremony was held in the heavily damaged border village of Maydel Selm.
Black trucks transporting coffins covered with the organization's flags passed through the central streets of the village to the local cemetery. The procession was accompanied by a large presence of mourners. Women carried portraits of the fallen fighters, as well as the face of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The Shiite group rarely reveals the exact number of its victims in real time. Such mass ceremonies are mainly organized during lulls in the fighting. The current window of relative calm became possible after the entry into force of a framework ceasefire agreement.
The event coincides with the official visit of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington. He is expected to hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump to consolidate peace with Israel. The text of the current agreement, however, requires the complete disarmament of “Hezbollah“, which the group categorically rejects.
Source: BTA, AFP, Dawn News