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Local Editor, 06-02-2010
Major attacks in the holy city of Karbala left at least 42 pilgrims killed and over 150 wounded amid tight security measures taken during the Arba'een pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Hussein bin Ali (pbuh).
Initial reports said explosion took place after a bomb planted in a civilian car went off in al-Shibanat area on Friday, four kilometers east of Karbala, also leaving three Iraqi army vehicles destroyed.
The blast targeted pilgrims who were leaving the city as millions of Muslims from across the world were marking the 40th day after Imam Hussein's martyrdom anniversary.
The incident occurred amid highly tightened security in the holy city where around 30,000 police and soldiers were on duty in anticipation of such attacks.
Major attacks in the holy city of Karbala left at least 42 pilgrims killed and over 150 wounded amid tight security measures taken during the Arba'een pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Hussein bin Ali (pbuh).
Initial reports said explosion took place after a bomb planted in a civilian car went off in al-Shibanat area on Friday, four kilometers east of Karbala, also leaving three Iraqi army vehicles destroyed.
The blast targeted pilgrims who were leaving the city as millions of Muslims from across the world were marking the 40th day after Imam Hussein's martyrdom anniversary.
The incident occurred amid highly tightened security in the holy city where around 30,000 police and soldiers were on duty in anticipation of such attacks.
Officials had expressed optimism that violence was on the downslope in Iraq, with only 135 civilians killed in January. Between the Arba'een attacks and other assorted violence, about as many have already been killed in the first 5 days of February.
On Wednesday, a bomb planted on a parked motorcycle exploded on the outskirts of Karbala, killing at least 23 Shiia pilgrims and leaving more than 147 others wounded. In another incident on Monday, at least 41 people were killed in northeast Baghdad when a bomb was detonated in a crowd of devout Shiia pilgrims heading to Karbala.
