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Blast Kills 20 in Iraqi Shi'ite City of Karbala

   VOA News 03 February 2010
   Muslim Shiite pilgrims head from Baghdad to the holy city of Karbala

Photo: AFP

   Muslim  Shiite  pilgrims head from Baghdad to the holy city of Karbala
   to  take part in the Aabaeen, 40 days of mourning after Ashura, 03 Feb
   2010

   Iraqi  police  say  a  motorcycle  bomb  blast  has killed at least 20
   Shi'ite  pilgrims  and wounded more than 100 others near the holy city
   of Karbala.
   Officials  say  the bomb exploded Wednesday as pilgrims made their way
   to the city south of Baghad for a Shi'ite religious observance.
   On  Monday  a  female  suicide bomber blew herself up among a crowd of
   Shi'ite  pilgrims  in Baghdad, killing at least 41 people and wounding
   more than 100 others.
   Hundreds of thousands of Shi'ites are making the pilgrimage to Karbala
   to join rituals marking Arbain, the end of 40 days of mourning for the
   death of Imam Hussein, a revered 7th-century Shi'ite cleric.
   Sunni  insurgents  in Iraq have routinely attacked Shi'ite pilgrims in
   recent years in a campaign to ignite a sectarian conflict.

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

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