Suicide bomber kills at least 54 in attack on Shiite pilgrims
Source: Agencies |
February 2, 2010, Tuesday
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A FEMALE suicide bomber walking among Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad detonated an explosives belt yesterday, killing at least 54 people and wounding more than 117, Iraqi officials said.
The bombing was the first major strike this year against pilgrims making their way to the southern city of Karbala to mark a Shiite holy day.
The bombing raises fears of an escalation of attacks as hundreds of thousands of Shiites head by Friday to the Karbala to mark the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure.
The bomber hid the explosives underneath an abaya - a black cloak worn from head to toe by women - as she joined a group of pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad's Shiite-dominated neighborhood of Shaab, said Major General Qassim al-Moussawi, Baghdad's top military spokesman.
The bomber set off the blast as she lined up with other women to be searched by female security guards at a security checkpoint just inside a rest tent, al-Moussawi said.
After clearing the security check, the women pilgrims were served water and sherbet, a police official said.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene in the minutes following the blast.
Raheem Khadhom, 35, was standing about 138 meters away when he says a huge fireball erupted among the pilgrims.
Pilgrims were "on the ground, covered in blood and crying for help," he said.
The blast knocked some out of their slippers and shoes, Khadhom said.
Many ran to the aid of the pilgrims. Some put the wounded in cars, taking them to hospitals rather than wait for ambulances, Khadhom said.
Despite an overall decline in violence in Iraq, al-Qaida and other Sunni extremists have routinely targeted pilgrims in an attempt to stoke sectarian strife and weaken the Shiite-dominated government.
The vast numbers of pilgrims and the distances many of them travel at predictable times of the year make it all but impossible to guarantee their safety against extremist groups.
The bombing was the first major strike this year against pilgrims making their way to the southern city of Karbala to mark a Shiite holy day.
The bombing raises fears of an escalation of attacks as hundreds of thousands of Shiites head by Friday to the Karbala to mark the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure.
The bomber hid the explosives underneath an abaya - a black cloak worn from head to toe by women - as she joined a group of pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad's Shiite-dominated neighborhood of Shaab, said Major General Qassim al-Moussawi, Baghdad's top military spokesman.
The bomber set off the blast as she lined up with other women to be searched by female security guards at a security checkpoint just inside a rest tent, al-Moussawi said.
After clearing the security check, the women pilgrims were served water and sherbet, a police official said.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene in the minutes following the blast.
Raheem Khadhom, 35, was standing about 138 meters away when he says a huge fireball erupted among the pilgrims.
Pilgrims were "on the ground, covered in blood and crying for help," he said.
The blast knocked some out of their slippers and shoes, Khadhom said.
Many ran to the aid of the pilgrims. Some put the wounded in cars, taking them to hospitals rather than wait for ambulances, Khadhom said.
Despite an overall decline in violence in Iraq, al-Qaida and other Sunni extremists have routinely targeted pilgrims in an attempt to stoke sectarian strife and weaken the Shiite-dominated government.
The vast numbers of pilgrims and the distances many of them travel at predictable times of the year make it all but impossible to guarantee their safety against extremist groups.
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