Rally in Baghdad marks one year since Iran general’s killing

Supporters hold a poster of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani during the rally (Khalid Mohammed/PA)

Thousands of Iraqis converged on a landmark square in central Baghdad on Sunday to commemorate the anniversary of the killing of a powerful Iranian general and a top Iraqi militia leader in a US drone strike.

Roads leading to Tahrir Square were closed off and security was tight as the crowds, chanting anti-American slogans, gathered in response to a call by powerful Iran-backed militias for a rally marking the occasion and demanding the expulsion of US troops from Iraq.