DAMASCUS: In central Damascus, a giant screen aired images of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as news of his killing in an Israeli strike reverberated across the city. Syrians fear Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon could spill into regime-held areas, which have already faced hundreds of Israeli strikes over the years. “Sayyed Nasrallah’s killing was a great shock and a tragedy for us and Arab nations,” said Ayham Barada, a 30-year-old shop owner. “We lost a man of great stature.” Nasrallah was a key ally of President Bashar Assad and backed the Damascus regime’s forces during the Syrian civil war. His group, alongside Russia and Iran, helped Assad to claw back lost territory. Assad offered condolences to Nasrallah’s family, saying he “will remain in the memory of Syrians” for heading the group during its fight “alongside Syria in its war against the tools of Israel.” In Damascus, the group has a presence in the Sayyida Zeinab area south of the capital, home to an important Shiite Muslim shrine that is protected by pro-Iran groups. Nasrallah’s face adorns walls across the neighborhood, and prayers echo from loudspeakers. Residents say that young men distribute white roses and water to passersby. In other parts of the city, mourners gathered for three days to mark his death.