Tehran, Jan 7 (TIWN) Hundreds of thousands of mourners, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gathered in Tehran on Monday to pay tribute to Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a targeted US drone attack in Baghdad last week.

From the early hours of Monday, Iranians walked toward the University of Tehran near Enghelab Square, where the funeral rites began among chants against the US and Israel, reports Efe news.  People in the funeral procession carried photographs of Soleimani, Iranian flags and banners with anti-US slogans.  While addressing the crowd, General Soleimani''s daughter, Zeinab, said: "The name Haj Qasem Soleimani is now shaking the nest of Zionism, Takfirism, and the order of hegemony. 

"America and Zionism should know that my father''s martyrdom has awakened more human instincts on the resistance front. It will make life a nightmare for them and shatter their spider houses," the Tehran-based Press TV reported.  Due to the huge number of expected mourners, police were deployed in the area hours beforehand to control traffic and ask residents to remove their vehicles from the streets.  The authorities have reinforced security measures in the capital, which helicopters have been flying over since Sunday afternoon.  Khamenei led a mass prayer service, with high-ranking government and military officials also to attend the funeral.