TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Mourners gathered Monday in Iran’s capital to honor the unknown soldiers killed in the 1980–88 Iran-Iraq war, whose remains were recently recovered from former battlefields.
The ceremony paid tribute to 100 soldiers, with families, veterans, civilians and senior military officials participating. The remaining 200 bodies were reportedly buried simultaneously in other cities.
Processions through Tehran were filled with chanting, as mourners carried flowers and flags to honor the fallen. Military personnel stood by coffins draped in the Iranian colors, marking the return of soldiers who had been missing for decades.
The gathering allowed relatives and citizens to pay respects, acknowledge the losses of the long and devastating conflict, and finally lay to rest fighters who never returned home.
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By VAHID SALEMI
Associated Press
