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February 12, 2009

Bomb Kills Iraqi Shi'ite Pilgrims in Karbala
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=223F043:A6F02AD83191E160E7D84A18B7472E8D5C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&
 
Dozens wounded in blast, near Imam Hussein shrine in holy city 
Iraqi officials said at least six Shi'ite pilgrims were killed in a bomb
blast Thursday as they observed one of their most important religious
holidays. A man stands at a spot of a car bombing at Bayaa neighborhood
in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, 12 Feb. 2009Dozens of other people were
wounded in the blast, near the Imam Hussein shrine in the holy city of
Karbala in central Iraq. The violence followed a twin bombing near a bus
station in Baghdad Wednesday that killed 16 people, as Shi'ite pilgrims
were traveling to Karbala. Pilgrims are gathering in Karbala, about 80
kilometers south of Baghdad, for the annual Shi'ite religious ceremony
of Arbaeen. The ceremony marks the end of the 40-day mourning period
following the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad,
in the 7th century A.D.The United Nations special representative in
Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, Wednesday condemned the violence as
"murderous" attacks "clearly designed to provoke sectarian
tensions."Also Thursday, police said a car bomb in Mosul killed four
policemen and wounded at least three other people, including two
civilians, the latest in a string of attacks in the northern city.
Although overall levels of violence in Iraq are down this year, Shi'ite
pilgrims have frequently been targeted by bombings in the past, with
most of the attacks blamed on Sunni extremist militants. 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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