Terrorist Attacks in Iraq Leave 36 Pilgrims Martyred
In the three bombings on Thursday, at least 36 pilgrims were killed and 100 more injured, Al-Alam news network reported.
The attacks took place as millions of pilgrims are heading for the holy city of Karbala to mourn the day of Arbaeen (anniversary of the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions in the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 after Hijra- 680 A.D.).
In one of the attacks, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt among the pilgrims in Al-Dura district, south of Baghdad, killing 20 people and injuring 40.
Two other bombings in Yusufiya, 25 kilometers south of Baghdad, and Latifiya, 40 kilometers south of the capital, also killed and injured a large number of Shia pilgrims.
No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks on Shia Muslim pilgrims, but systematic bombings are a favorite tactic of al-Qaeda-linked groups that according to Iraqi officials seek to destabilize the country.
As the day of Arbaeen (Monday, December 23) approaches, security measures are being stepped up in Iraq especially in the holy city of Karbala, which is expected to host some 20 million mourners.
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