Tens of thousands of Lebanese Shiites are marching in a Hizbullah stronghold in southern Beirut to mark one of their sect's most important religious occasions, the Ashura.
Thursday's massive ceremony is being held amid tight security, including a ban on vehicles in the area, following huge bombings last summer that killed and wounded dozens of people.
The Shiites are observing the Ashura, the annual commemoration of the 7th-century death of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson.
Hizbullah's leader sayyed Hassan Nasrallah made rare public appearances on Wednesday in southern Beirut, urging followers to participate in the Ashura despite what he described as "security threats."
He also appeared in public on Thursday to commemorate Ashura.
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