Iran holds mass funeral for Guard officers killed in Syria

By NASSER KARIMI
Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Mourners have poured out in large numbers onto the streets of Tehran to pay their respects to several Iranian officers killed in Syria, a testament to the human cost of Iran’s involvement in the civil war and a public display of nationalist fervor as nuclear talks resume in Vienna. The Guard identified the five deceased fighters, providing few details about their deaths with the exception of Gen. Abdollah Eskandari, who became known as the “headless general” after his capture and beheading by Syrian rebels in May 2014. Their bodies were repatriated after a lengthy process of recovery and DNA analysis. Iran has increasingly admitted casualties since it stepped in to help Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.