Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27, has been temporarily buried in a secret location, reports suggest. While Hezbollah has not yet disclosed its plans for Nasrallah's funeral, conflicting reports suggest that his burial could be in Lebanon or Iraq. Abdul Amir Al Teiban, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, tweeted that Nasrallah would be buried "next to Imam Hussein, in Karbala" in Iraq, a site of deep importance to the Shia Muslim community.
A Lebanese official told AFP that Hezbollah had sought "guarantees" from the US, via Lebanon, to be able to hold a public funeral for Nasrallah. However, no such guarantees were reached amid continued Israeli bombardment of Beirut. In the meantime, a symbolic funeral for Nasrallah is expected to be held on Friday, led by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Sources close to the matter confirmed to AFP, "Hassan Nasrallah has been temporarily buried, until the circumstances allow for a public funeral."
Khamenei, who gave a rare Friday sermon in Tehran, his first in five years, expressed his sorrow over Nasrallah's death. A procession is also expected to take place in Tehran, where thousands gathered in the capital, with images of Khamenei and Nasrallah displayed on the main stage.
Nasrallah, the 64-year-old leader who led the Iran-backed Hezbollah for more than 30 years, was killed during a massive Israeli airstrike on the group's central headquarters in Beirut. Reports stated that 80 tonnes of bunker-busting bombs were used to penetrate the bunker where Nasrallah and senior Hezbollah leaders were meeting.
The explosions reportedly breached the bunker, releasing toxic fumes that likely caused Nasrallah's death due to asphyxiation. His body showed no visible injuries, indicating he may have suffocated from the toxic fumes generated by the blast.
(With inputs from agencies)