Khamenei's body brought to Karbala

Millions flocked to the funeral ceremony held for Ali Khamenei in the Iraqi city of Karbala. While overcrowding caused stampedes at times during the procession, a public holiday was declared in the city for Thursday.

Don't leave your news choices to an algorithm - decide for yourself what you read. Add 12punto to your preferred sources!

The body of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was brought to the Iraqi city of Karbala during the night following the funeral ceremony held in Najaf.

Welcomed on Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis Street in Karbala, Khamenei's body reached the Abbas Shrine after midnight due to the high level of participation. Khamenei's body, for which funeral prayers had previously been held in Najaf, was transported to Karbala by an Iraqi military helicopter in the evening hours.

As the funeral procession moved toward the shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas, hundreds of thousands of attendees carried Iraqi and Iranian flags. A stampede occurred at times as the crowd attempted to get closer to the coffin.

Khamenei's funeral prayer had been led by Sayyid Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim in the courtyard of the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf.

PUBLIC HOLIDAY DECLARED IN KARBALA

Due to the high level of participation, the Karbala Governorate declared Thursday a public holiday throughout the province. In a statement, Karbala Governor Nassif Jassim al-Khattabi stated that the decision for a public holiday was made because millions of people were in the city for the funeral ceremonies, and to ensure that the people of Karbala could continue to provide services to visitors and participate in the ceremonies.

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) announced that the number of people attending the funeral ceremony in Karbala exceeded 4 million.

News Source: İHA