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Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Iraq to mark the second anniversary of

The Iranian commander was killed alongside Iraqi militia leaderÌý in a US drone strike under the orders of then- on 3 January 2020.Ìý

Carrying flags and chanting, protesters marched towards airport, the site of the assassination, to mourn the loss of the powerful military figure - with some carrying placards vowing for "revenge".Ìý

"Thousands march towards the Baghdad airport in Iraq, near the site of the Assassination to mark the second anniversary," wrote journalist Syed Shahriyar on Monday together with a video showing the protesters.

The hashtag #InternationalHeroDay flooded social media Monday as supporters expressed sorrow on the two-year anniversary.ÌýÌý

"Tens of thousands [of] people gather at place of martyrdom," wrote one user, who posted pictures of flowers and candles as well as children dressedÌýin military uniforms.Ìý

Soleimani led the Quds Force, an elite operations arm of the until his death.Ìý

He was widely viewed as the mastermind of Iran's Middle East ambitions, spearheading their involvement in the fight against Islamic State as well as other conflicts.Ìý

Trump claimed Soleimani#s assassination was in response to in Iraq.Ìý

Iran's Supreme Leader has repeatedly called for "revenge" against "those who ordered the murder of General Soleimani".Ìý

In the days following the attack, Iraq's parliament passed a resolution calling for the expulsion of all foreign troops from the country.Ìý

While the USÌý in December 2021, a number of troops remain to offer training and assistance to national forces.Ìý
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