-
A resident looks at the site of a bomb attack in Kirkuk which killed five people and wounded 30 others - Source: Reuters -
Related
Roadside bombs exploded as minibuses carrying Shiite Muslims
home from pilgrimage passed in Baghdad, killing five people and
wounding 19, police said.
Two roadside bombs struck two minibuses in separate incidents in
the poor Baghdad Shiite district of Sadr City.
Three people were killed and eight wounded in one blast, and one
person was killed and another five wounded in the other.
Another roadside bomb struck a minibus in eastern Baghdad, killing
one person and wounding six others, a hospital source said.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims poured into Iraq's holy city of
Kerbala to mark the birth of Imam Mohammed al-Mehdi, a Messiah-like
figure Shiites believe vanished centuries ago and will return to
bring peace on earth.
The event was the second major religious gathering in Iraq since
the withdrawal of US combat troops from urban centres on June 30,
which thrust Iraqi security forces into the leading role.
Thursday's pilgrimage and the previous event passed largely
peacefully, but insurgent attacks are still common, raising doubts
about the Iraqi security forces' ability to stand alone.
A series of bomb blasts near five Shiite mosques killed 31 people a
week ago.
Shiite religious gatherings are frequent target of Sunni Islamist
militants such as al Qaeda, who consider Shiites heretics.
World News Video
-
Dangerous rush to Everest summit (1:59)
-
Dozens killed in Syrian massacre (2:09)
-
'King of Romance' competes in Eurovision (1:46)
