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29 March 2024

Suicide bomber strikes Shiite pilgrims south of Baghdad, killing at least 25

Published
By Agencies

 

A suicide bomber struck Shiite pilgrims Sunday on a highway south of Baghdad, killing at least 25 people and wounding 20, police said.


The blast occurred about 3 pm in Iskandariyah, police said. The pilgrims were marching south toward Karbala to commemorate Arbaeen, the 40th day following the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, one of two major Shiite figures buried in the holy city.

It was the second attack against Shiite pilgrims.

Earlier Sunday, pilgrims were attacked by grenades and small-arms fire in the predominantly Sunni Baghdad neighbourhood of Dora, leaving at least three people dead and 36 wounded, police said.

Iskandariyah, 50 kilometres south of the capital, was one of the main cities in an area dubbed the triangle of death for much of the US-led war. But it has seen a recent decline in violence that the US military has said is due to a Sunni movement against Al Qaida in Iraq, as well as an influx of American troops. (AP)