Funerals for Hezbollah militants

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Hezbollah militants buried

Thousands in Lebanon have attended the funerals of eight Hezbollah militants whose bodies were returned by Israel as part of a prisoner swap two days ago.

Grieving relatives and supporters of the Shia movement attended the service in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Under the deal, Hezbollah returned the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, whom it said were captured alive in an ambush in 2006, but were fatally wounded.

The incident sparked a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The remains of the Israeli reservists - Sgt Eldad Regev and Sgt Ehud Goldwasser - were buried on Thursday. Their funerals were broadcast live on national television.

Thousands of mourners

In Beirut, the eight coffins were decorated with Hezbollah's yellow flags, floral wreaths and a picture of each of the men.

Opening the memorial service, the head of Hezbollah's executive council paid tribute to the men.

PRISONER EXCHANGE From Hezbollah: Bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, and remains of other Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon in 2006 From Israel: Five Lebanese prisoners, including Samir Qantar, and remains of some 200 Lebanese and Palestinian fighters Outlook bleak despite exchange Germany's success as mediator In pictures: Prisoner exchange

"These martyrs have defeated the enemy... our enemy who was humiliated yesterday will remain so, by the grace of God," said Hashem Safieddine.

"The brothers of these martyrs will confront the enemy [Israel] if it ever thinks of making the mistake" of attacking Lebanon, he added.

The coffins were then carried through the Hezbollah stronghold of southern Beirut, as thousands of people followed. The bodies were then given to their families for burial.

Defiant

The remains of the eight men were handed over to Hezbollah on Wednesday, as part of a deal that included the release of five Lebanese prisoners and the remains of nearly 200 militants.

The exchange has been controversial in Israel because it freed convicted murderer Samir Qantar - Lebanon's longest-held prisoner in Israel.

We swear by God... to continue on your same path and not to retreat until we achieve the same stature that God bestowed on you Samir Qantar

Some Israeli government ministers were opposed to exchanging five live Hezbollah prisoners for two bodies.

On Thursday, Qantar and the four other freed prisoners visited the grave of Imad Mughniyeh, the military head of Hezbollah, who was killed in an explosion earlier this year in Syria. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the attack.

Qantar said: "We swear by God... to continue on your same path and not to retreat until we achieve the same stature that God bestowed on you."

Qantar had been in jail since 1979 for a deadly guerrilla raid in which he killed a four-year-old girl, her father and a policeman.

The girl's two-year-old sister was accidentally smothered by her mother as they hid during the raid.

The swap was brought about by two years of delicate mediation by German negotiators.