Iran bids farewell to beheaded defender of shrine

Several high-ranking Iranian officials, including Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani, Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, Head of Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs Mohammad Ali Shahidi, participating in the ceremony on behalf of President Hassan Rouhani, as well as Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei, Commander of the Ground Force of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, Judiciary Spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Head of Passive Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali, were among the dignitaries attended the funeral ceremony.

Meanwhile, prior to the start of the funeral procession, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei early on Wednesday morning attended a mosque in downtown Tehran to visit the body of the Iranian martyr.

Ayatollah Khamenei prayed for the soul of Hojajji and condoled with his bereaved family who were present by the martyr's coffin at the Imam Hussein Mosque in central Tehran.

Hojajji ,25, a military advisor known in Iran as the holy shrine defender, was taken hostage in August 7 and beheaded two days later on camera by Daesh terrorists.

His body, along with a number of the martyrs from the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement, were received from Daesh terrorists on August 31 based on a ceasefire deal made between the terrorist group and Hezbollah.

Iran's military advisors are in Syria to protect the country's holy sites against terrorist attacks.

There holy shrine of the sister of Imam Hussein (A.S.) is located in Damascus.

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