Ex-President of Iraq J. Talabani passed away

The people of Kurdistan and Iraq have said farewell to Jalal Talabani, the first elected non-Arab president of Iraq who oversaw the immediate aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Talabani died in Germany on Tuesday. His body left Berlin Friday morning, flying directly to the Kurdish city of Sulaimani, arriving just before midday.

Talabani’s coffin, draped with the Kurdistan flag, was greeted with a 21-gun salute at the airport. The national anthems of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region were then played.

Source: Rudaw.net