Female suicide bomber kills Shia pilgrims in Iraq

Targeted: Muslim Shiite pilgrims leave Baghdad on their way to the holy city of Karbala today. At least 41 people have died after a female suicide bomber blew herself up among the crowd of pilgrims

An Iraqi soldier stands guard as Muslim Shiite pilgrims pass through Baghdad on their way to the holy city of Karbala today

The Shia pilgrims were marking Arbaaen, the end of 40 days of mourning for the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson

A woman has blown herself up in north-east Baghdad, killing more than 40 people and injuring about 100 others.

Most of the casualties are believed to be Shia pilgrims, who were making the journey to Karbala, 80km south of the Iraqi capital.

In recent years the pilgrimage has been the target of similar attacks, blamed on Sunni extremists.


A female suicide bomber laden with explosives blew herself up in Baghdad today, killing at least 54 people and wounding 117.

The woman detonated her bomb among a crowd of Shi'ite pilgrims on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital, security officials said.

Thousands of Shi'ite Muslims had flooded the streets for the start of an arduous trek to the southern city of Karbala, 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Baghdad, for the religious rite of Arbain.

A Interior Ministry source and a police official said the attack was on a tent where pilgrims are given food and drink.

Arbain marks 40 days of mourning for Hussein, the Prophet Mohammad's grandson, who died in a 7th Century battle at Karbala.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, beating their heads and chests in ritual mourning, pour into the city for the rite. Many walk from hundreds of miles away.

Arbain was once suppressed like other Shi'ite gatherings under Saddam.

Tens of thousands of troops and police have been deployed to protect pilgrims and also around the revered Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala.

But suspected Sunni Islamist extremists, who view Shi'ite Muslims as apostates, still manage to get through.

Iraq is trying to leave years of bombings, killings and sectarian slaughter behind as it moves to cement security gains made in the last two years and revamp an oil sector that gives Iraq nearly all of its revenues.

The attack took place as the nation geared up for a March election when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government was expected to run on improved security and trumpet a series of oil deals that may vault Iraq into the world's top three crude exporters. It now the number 11 producer.

More attacks are likely during the Arbain religious period and before the election as suspected Sunni Islamist groups try to undermine Maliki's Shi'ite-led government.

Millions of Shi'ites from Iraq, Iran, Bahrain and other nations have defied the threat of suicide bombings since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Sunni-led government of Saddam Hussein to visit Iraq's Shi'ite holy sites.



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