Sawt Falasteen - Big turnout expected for Beirut funeral of slain Hezbollah leader

Tens of thousands of mourners from Lebanon and beyond were expected to watch the ceremony, delayed for security reasons after Nasrallah's death in a massive Israeli strike on Hezbollah's south Beirut bastion in September.

The killing of the charismatic leader, who had guided Hezbollah for more than three decades, dealt a heavy blow to the group's morale and its reputation as a fighting force.

In the run-up to the funeral, giant portraits of Nasrallah and of his heir apparent Hashem Safieddine -- killed in another Israeli air strike a week later -- have been plastered on walls and bridges across south Beirut.

One was also hung above a stage erected on the pitch of the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of the capital where the funeral for both leaders is to be held.

The stadium has a capacity of around 50,000 but Hezbollah organisers have installed thousands of extra seats on the pitch and many more outside, where mourners will be able to follow the ceremony on a giant screen.

Since Saturday, roads into Beirut have been clogged with carloads of Hezbollah supporters travelling in from the movement's strongholds in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

- Security concerns -

Nicholas Blanford, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said it was important for Hezbollah "to be able to demonstrate that they haven't been cowed -- that they are still a popular force".

The funeral is due to start at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) and will include a speech by current leader Naim Qassem.

A procession will then follow to the site near the airport highway where Nasrallah will be buried. Safieddine will be interred in his southern hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr on Monday.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar television said the movement was deploying 25,000 stewards for crowd control and 4,000 more to supervise the event.

A security source said 4,000 troops and security personnel would also be deployed to the area.

Hezbollah has invited top Lebanese officials including President Joseph Aoun to attend.

Its longtime backer Iran is to be represented by the speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iranian media reported.

Representatives of Iraq's main pro-Iran factions are also expected to attend and additional flights were laid on between Baghdad and Beirut.

Civil aviation authorities said Beirut airport will close exceptionally from midday until 4:00 pm.

The US embassy has urged Americans to avoid the area.

Regular services from Iran have been suspended but airport chief Fadi al-Hassan said a flight from Tehran had been given permission to land before dawn on Sunday.

"It is only one flight, carrying official delegations from Tehran to participate in the funeral," Hassan told AFP.

- 'Difficult day' -

Hezbollah has asked mourners to refrain from firing in the air, a common practice at funerals in parts of Lebanon.

The defence ministry said it would freeze gun licences from February 22 to 25.

The Lebanese army has banned drones from taking pictures in and around Beirut from Saturday evening until Sunday night.

A founding member of Hezbollah in 1982, Nasrallah won renown around the Arab world in May 2000 when Israel ended its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon under relentless attack by the group under his leadership.

In the decades since, views about Hezbollah in Lebanon have become increasingly polarised.

Many criticise the movement for its readiness to take the country to war with Israel in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

But in Shiite majority areas of the south and east, the movement retains a devoted following.

In Hezbollah's south Beirut bastion, Mariam Shorba, 80, told AFP she would attend Nasrallah's funeral "no matter the circumstances".

"This is a difficult day, because (Nasrallah) is very dear to us," she said. "No matter what we do, we cannot do him justice."

Y.AlMasri--SF-PST