Funeral held in Iraq for Iranian General killed by Israel

A funeral procession was held in Iraq for Iranian General Abbas Nilforoushan on Monday, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike last month in Beirut, alongside Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

His body was transported to Karbala, considered a holy site by Shi'a Muslims, after it was recovered from the site of the strike. 

The funeral procession headed to the Husseiniyah shrine, where a representative of Iraq's top Shi'a cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, led prayers in front of a large crowd.

The funeral then moved to the nearby Al-Abbas shrine before leaving for another Shia holy city, Najaf. 

Nilforoushan’s body is due to be sent to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad, according to Sepah news agency, which is affiliated to the Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Another funeral ceremony is due to take place in Tehran’s Imam Hossein Square on Tuesday, after which Nilforoushan will be buried in his home town of Isfahan in central Iran, Sepah said.

Nilforoushan and Nasrallah were killed on September 27 in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyah, a Hezbollah stronghold. 

On October 1, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel in response to series of assassinations. It was also in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismil Haniyeh in Tehran in July.

An anticipated retalitory strike has heightened tensions in the region further, as the risk of a broader regional war looms. 

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to attack Hezbollah "without mercy, everywhere in Lebanon – including Beirut".

Israel has notably intensified its operations in Lebanon, expanding its attacks to northern Lebanon for the first time on Monday, when at least 21 people were killed in the majority-Christian town of Aitou.