http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=19739
Iraqi Police: 20 Killed in Karbala Blast
03/02/2010
A Shiite pilgrims flagellates himself at the Imam Hussain shrine in the
holy city of Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq. (AP)
Thousands of Muslim Shiite pilgrims pour into the Imam Abbas Shrine in
the southern holy city of Karbala, 110 kms (70 miles) south of the Iraqi
capital Baghdad. (AFP)
An Iraqi soldier mans a machine gun near a picture of Iraq's Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki as Shi'ite Muslims commemorating the Arbain ritual
ceremony gather in Kerbala. (R)
BAGHDAD, (AP) - A bomb planted on a parked motorcycle exploded Wednesday on the
outskirts of the holy city of Karbala, killing at least 20 Shiite pilgrims and
wounding more than 100 others amid tight security for the huge religious
procession, officials said.
The blast was the latest in a string of attacks this week that have targeted
pilgrims making their way to an important Shiite religious observance in
Karbala, raising fears of a spike in attacks by suspected Sunni insurgents when
the pilgrimage culminates Friday.
The bomb exploded at about 11 a.m. in an area known as Ibrahimia, near the east
entrance - one of three - into Karbala, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of
Baghdad, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was
not authorized to brief media.
At least 108 people were wounded in the attack, the official said, adding that
the area was clogged with pilgrims and the number of casualties could increase.
A hospital official in Karbala, also speaking on condition of anonymity,
confirmed the number of dead and wounded.
Hours earlier, two separate roadside bombs targeting Shiite pilgrims exploded
in Baghdad, killing one and wounding seven others, a security official in the
capital said.
The official said the first attack took place Wednesday at about 6:15 a.m. in
western Baghdad, killing one person and wounding three. He said a second
explosion in southwest Baghdad wounded four pilgrims.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to
release the information.
For years, the main Shiite pilgrimages have been a prime target for attacks
blamed on Sunni extremists seeking to widen sectarian rifts. The current
processions have brought hundreds of thousands of people streaming toward
Karbala to end the 40-day mourning period marking the death of Hussein, a
revered Shiite figure from the 7th century.
The religious events also come about a month before critical parliamentary
elections on March 7, which are seen as a test of reconciliation between
majority Shiites and minority Sunnis who dominated Iraq until Saddam Hussein's
ouster in 2003.
On Monday, a woman suicide bomber north of Baghdad killed 54 Shiite pilgrims,
including a dozen children. After the attack, authorities promised to intensify
security along the pilgrimage route.
Karbala police spokesman, Maj. Alaa Abbas, said more than 30,000 security
personnel were deployed around the city. The measures included bomb-sniffing
dogs at the three main entrances to Karbala and undercover intelligence agents
in the crowds.
But tight security in the past has failed to prevent bloodshed among Shiite
pilgrims or at shrines.
During a Shiite pilgrimage in February 2009, a female suicide bomber attacked a
tent filled with women and children resting during the walk to Karbala, killing
40 people and wounding 60 others. A month before that, a suicide bomber dressed
in women's clothing and hiding among Iranian pilgrims killed more than three
dozen people outside a mosque in Baghdad's Shiite neighborhood of Kazimiyah.
Earlier Wednesday, a senior security official said agents arrested 13 suspects
believed involved in making explosive belts for suicide attacks.
The official said authorities believe the belts - including five seized by
police - were intended for attacks on Shiite pilgrims. The official spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to give the information to
media.
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