Shafaq News-Karbala
The body oflate Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei arrived in the Iraqi city of Karbalaon Wednesday for funeral rites at the shrines of Imam Hussein bin Ali andal-Abbas, two of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.
Shafaq Newscorrespondent reported that both shrines were cleared of worshippers andmourners after midday prayers and their doors closed in preparation to receivethe body.
Millions ofmourners, who had gathered since the early hours, turned out alongside officialIraqi and Iranian delegations.
The funeralprocession began in the morning in Najaf amid wide popular and officialparticipation and heightened security and organizational measures. The turnoutsurpassed 3.8 million, according to official figures.
The bodies ofKhamenei and several members of his family arrived at Najaf InternationalAirport in an official ceremony headed by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
Once the ritesconclude at both shrines, the body will return along the same route to Najafand from there to Iran, according to the Shafaq News correspondent.
