Hezbollah Announces Burial Place for Nasrallah

01 November 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: A picture of pro-Iranian Hezbollah assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah is displayed in front of rubbles of flattened building caused by Israeli air raids on Beirut southern suburb. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
01 November 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: A picture of pro-Iranian Hezbollah assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah is displayed in front of rubbles of flattened building caused by Israeli air raids on Beirut southern suburb. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Hezbollah Announces Burial Place for Nasrallah

01 November 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: A picture of pro-Iranian Hezbollah assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah is displayed in front of rubbles of flattened building caused by Israeli air raids on Beirut southern suburb. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
01 November 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: A picture of pro-Iranian Hezbollah assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah is displayed in front of rubbles of flattened building caused by Israeli air raids on Beirut southern suburb. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Hezbollah party has reportedly chosen a location for the burial of its late Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday.
Nasrallah - killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 27- will be buried in a “plot of land located on the old road leading to the Rafik Hariri International Airport, with plans to turn it into a shrine”, said the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Preparations are underway for the funeral of Nasrallah and the party's Executive Council Chairman, Hashem Safieddine, in a joint public ceremony,” they added, noting that Safieddine will be buried in his hometown of Deir Qanoun in the Tyre district as per his wishes.
Nasrallah led Hezbollah through decades of conflict with Israel, overseeing its transformation from an armed group into a political force that – backed by Iran – dominated Lebanese politics.
Separately, the sources addressed the issue of the exploding pagers, stating that "investigations are ongoing until those responsible for this breach are identified".



Syrian Police Impose Curfew in Homs after Unrest

Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Syrian Police Impose Curfew in Homs after Unrest

Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Syrian police have imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, after unrest there linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shiite communities.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the demands of the demonstrators nor the degree of disturbance that took place.

Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days aimed at members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by opposition fighters on Dec. 8.

Spokespeople for Syria’s new ruling administration led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.

State media said the curfew was being imposed for one night, from 6pm (1500 GMT) local time until 8am on Thursday morning.

The country's new leaders have repeatedly vowed to protect minority religious groups.

Small demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near Syria’s coast, where most of the country’s Alawite minority live, including in the city of Tartous.

The demonstrations took place around the time an undated video was circulated on social networks showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men walking around inside and posing near human bodies.

The interior ministry said on its official Telegram account that the video dated back to the opposition offensive on Aleppo in late November and the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever was circulating the video now appeared to be seeking to incite sectarian strife.

The ministry also said that some members of the former regime had attacked interior ministry forces in Syria’s coastal area on Wednesday, leaving a number of dead and wounded.