Thousands march in Baghdad to mark anniversary of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani’s assassination

Thousands of mourners in Iraq have held an all-night vigil to mark the anniversary of the US-ordered killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

It is part of a week-long series of events one year on from the assassination.

Both Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds force, and al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were killed in the US airstrike near Baghdad’s international airport last year.

The anniversary was marked by a mock funeral procession on the highway leading to the airport, with thousands of mourners in attendance.

The scene of the bombing was turned into a shrine-like area, sealed off by red ropes, and adorned with candles lit by…