Funeral procession held for young Rukayya, who died in Halabja, laid to rest in Karbala

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The funeral of a young girl named Rukayya, who died in Iraq's Halabja, departed from the city on Saturday en route to Karbala, where she was later buried, local media reported. Residents of the Hurmal and Shahrazor regions lined the route to offer condolences to the family, with mourners accompanying the procession holding flowers. Her body was recovered following extensive search operations in Halabja's Ahmed Ava tourist area, according to the same reports. The case has drawn grief across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region since the search began. Rukayya was buried in Karbala after the procession arrived, with family members and a large number of citizens attending the ceremony. No details on the circumstances of the child's death have been released.