BEIRUT: Lebanon`s Hezbollah is preparing for a massive turnout for the funeral on Sunday of its slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, an opportunity for a show of strength by the group after a war with Israel.

Nasrallah`s death nearly five months ago in a huge Israeli strike on Beirut`s southern suburbs left Hezbollah supporters in disbelief and sent shockwaves across Lebanon and the region.

The country will stop for Sunday`s funeral, to be held at 1pm (1100 GMT) at the Camille Chamoun sports stadium on the capital`s outskirts.Hezbollah has announced strict security measures and urged security forces to help manage crowds that are expected to number in the tens of thousands, with people pouring in from Hezbollah strongholds across the country, as well as from abroad.

Hassan Wehbe, 60, an electrician in Beirut`s southern suburbs, said the funeral would be `a historic day`.

`There will be huge participation. Israel will see that we are not afraid,` he said.

Hezbollah has invited senior Lebanese officials including the president. Its key foreign backer Iran has said it will participate `at a high level`, without specifying who will attend.

Nicholas Blanford, a Beirutbased Hezbollah expert and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said it was importantfor Hezbollah `to be able to demonstrate that they haven`t been cowed that they are still a popular force` within the Shia community. Thefuneral `is going to be exactly the event for that`, he told AFP.

`Moral duty` The ceremony is expected tolast around an hour, including a speech by current leader Naim Qassem, who has called for a huge turnout.

A procession will follow to Nasrallah`s burial site near the airport road, now lined with yellow Hezbollah flags and images of him and other slain Hezbollah figures.

Civil aviation authorities said Beirut airport will close exceptionally and flights will be suspended from midday until 4pm.

The US embassy has urged Americans to avoid the area.

After Nasrallah was killed on September 27, the group delayed his funeral due to security concerns.

The ceremony will also be for Hashem Safieddine, who was chosen to succeed Nasrallah before being killed in alaterIsraelistrike.Safieddine will be buried on Monday in his southern hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr.

Cult status The charismatic, bespectacled Nasrallah has long enjoyed cult status among his supporters. For Ahmed Hallani, 35, taking part is `a religious and moral duty`.

Nasrallah is `our leader and the leader of our victories. We will stay beside him, alive or dead,` he said.

Representatives of Iraq`s main pro-Iran factions are to participate, while several Iraqi lawmakers are expected to attend privately.

One of Hezbollah`s founders in 1982, Nasrallah was elected secretary-general a decade later after Israel killed his predecessor.-AFP