The funeral of Ibrahim Aqil, a senior figure in Hezbollah, is currently taking place in southern Beirut. Aqil was among 16 Hezbollah commanders and fighters who lost their lives in an Israeli missile strike on Friday. The funeral is being held at a closed-off intersection in southern Beirut, with tight security measures in place. Attendees reported seeing a dog sniffing the surrounding streets for explosives as they made their way to the gathering.
Mourners are seated on plastic chairs, gazing at a gate draped in yellow through which Aqil's coffin is expected to be carried. A statement released by Hezbollah on Saturday invited the 'people of resistance' to attend the funerals of Aqil and Mahmoud Hamad. The procession will conclude at the Rawdat al-Hawraa Zainab cemetery in Ghobeiry, located in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Ibrahim Aqil was the leader of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force and was assassinated alongside several other commanders. Notably, Aqil had a $7 million bounty placed on him by the United States due to his suspected involvement in the 1983 attack on the US Embassy in Beirut, which resulted in the deaths of 63 individuals. He was also linked to the bombing of the Beirut Marine barracks later that same year, which claimed the lives of 241 US personnel.
