Powerful Explosion Rocks Holy Shiite City of Kerbala

Xinhua via China Broadcast.cn ^ | March 19, 2006

[bd476]

A strong blast ripped through Karbala, a holy city located some 110 km south of Baghdad, on Sunday morning when many Shiite Muslims rallied in the city center for a religious commemoration, said reports reaching here from Karbala.

A loud explosion was heard near the Imam Hussein mosque. There is no immediate report on casualties.

The blast occurred when thousands of Shiite Muslims went to the mosque for an annual commemoration slated for Monday, when a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein came to an end.

Imam Hussein, one of the Islamic Prophet Mohammad's grandsons, was killed and buried in the city in 680 AD. Hussein's brother, Imam Abbas, was also buried in Karbala, which makes the city one of the holiest cities in Iraq.

[BlackVeil]

What I have heard, is that a mortar was fired, and landed near the shrine, but on a vacant lot and so no one was injured. A miraculous escape for the pilgrims.

I hope that the blast mentioned in this article is not a different one.

[Flyer]

I hardly ever get to be the fist to ping you to an Iraq thread.

Ping!

[bd476]

Gulf Times

Shias run gauntlet of bombers
ahead of Karbala pilgrimage

Published: Sunday, 19 March, 2006, 09:14 AM Doha Time

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Shia pilgrims ran a gauntlet of bullets and bombs this weekend as they headed south for a major religious celebration, while political leaders in Baghdad bickered over a “unity” government.



One Iraqi civilian was killed in southern Baghdad by a roadside bomb, and at least five Shia pilgrims were wounded in a similar blast in the Yarmuk neighbourhood of western Baghdad yesterday, an interior ministry official said.

This followed a drive-by shooting that killed three pilgrims in Yarmuk on Friday, while a roadside bomb claimed the life of one pilgrim and wounded four more south of the capital. The string of attacks on pilgrims, making their way on foot to the commemoration in Karbala, 110km south of Baghdad, comes amid heightened sectarian tension in the aftermath of the bombing of a Shia shrine in Samarra last month.

Tens of thousands of Iraq’s Shia majority are heading to Karbala for the annual festival at the end of the 40-day mourning period for Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, killed near the city in 680 AD.

US and Iraqi forces have bolstered security and the US military has called up an additional force of 700 troops from Kuwait for the holiday.

In other violence yestedray, a driver was killed and four passengers wounded when a roadside bomb exploded in the oil rich northern city of Kirkuk, police said.

Also in Kirkuk, a policeman was shot dead by a group of armed men, the same source said.

In Baghdad, eight policemen were wounded in two separate bomb attacks, security officials said. A car bomb injured two civilians in the capital.

Two insurgents were killed and 19 others arrested, including a Jordanian, when Iraqi forces yesterday raided an area near Baquba, northeast of the capital. One soldier was also wounded in clashes, the military said.

In Baghdad, political leaders remained deadlocked in their talks on forming a broad-based coalition in the wake of the December general elections.

Iraq’s interim Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, whom the dominant Shia alliance would like to see head the next government, made clear he was opposed to diluting his authority by handing over power for security matters to a national security council which would include all major Iraqi parties.

“Our recommendation is that it should be a consultative group and not interfere with executive authority,” he told a news conference held jointly with Defence Minister Sadun al-Dulaimi and visiting British Defence Secretary John Reid. The security council does not yet exist and its opponents argue there is no provision for it in the constitution adopted in October.

The Iraqi defence ministry, for its part, announced the arrest of six suspects wanted in connection with the murder six days ago of the director of Iraqia state television and his driver. – AFP

Shias run gauntlet of bombers ahead of Karbala pilgrimage

[TigerLikesRooster]

Holy Shiite!

[Allegra]

Insomnia? ;-)

Tnis is not good, though. Not good at all.

I smell Iranian rats.

[bd476]

There was mention of an IED explosion on Saturday, but I believe that this latest explosion report unfortunately may be another one. Here's what I found on the IED explosion

IED attack injures pilgrims in Karbala

Saturday, March 18, 2006 (Karbala):

Shiite Muslim pilgrims travelling on the road to the holy city of Karbala were injured by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The attack happened south of Baghdad, near the al Bayaa neighbourhood.

The ten injured were taken to al-Yarmouk teaching hospital.

On Friday, drive-by shootings and roadside and bus bombs killed or wounded 19 people, increasing the sectarian tensions gripping Iraq.

Authorities had feared new attacks as tens of thousands of Shiites converge on Karbala for Monday's 40th and final day of mourning for Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, killed at Karbala in 680 AD. (AP)

IED attack injures pilgrims in Karbala

[bd476]

Keep thinking good thoughts, I'm hoping you are right. Here's something from Reuters:

Mortar lands in Iraq's Kerbala as pilgrims gather

Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:42 AM GMT13

KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) - A mortar round landed in the southern Iraqi city of Kerbala on Sunday, causing no casualties, as thousands of Shi'ites gathered for one of the biggest events of their religious calendar.

"The mortar landed in western Kerbala near a garage without inflicting any casualties," said Rahman Mshari, a spokesman for Kerbala police.

At least 8,000 Iraqi police and soldiers have been deployed in the city for the event. Local officials say they expect as many as 2 million people to attend the mourning ritual on Monday evening.

Mortar lands in Iraq's Kerbala as pilgrims gather

[SkyPilot]

Does Islam consider every city over there a "holy city?"

[G.Mason]

It seems that attending mosques has become a rather risky adventure.

I doubt sticking your ass in the air three times a day, while facing East, comes without the fear of it suddenly being launched, in pieces, toward the heavens.

[Canard]

" I smell Iranian rats."

Why would Iran be attacking Shiite pilgrims?

[Allegra]

Why would Iran be attacking Shiite pilgrims?

Easy. To forment unrest in Iraq. That's an advantage to Iran. They do these things to make the Shiites think the Sunnis are doing it.

Unfortunately for Iran, the Iraqis have figured it out.

Who do you think blew up the Golden Dome in Samarra?

[Canard]

"Who do you think blew up the Golden Dome in Samarra?"

The CIA?

The Iranians may well have an interest in fermenting unrest, but seems like there's plenty enough Sunni's to launch attacks on Shias without them having to get involved in that themselves. Nice conspiracy theory though.

[McGavin999]

Hmmm, where are you sitting right now? Allegra is sitting in the middle of Baghdad, so don't you think just maybe she might know a little more about what's going on than you do?

[McGavin999]

That's who I thought did it too. The terrorists wouldn't have been so careful to just blow the dome and they would have blown it when the shrine was full.

[Allegra]

Hmmm, where are you sitting right now? Allegra is sitting in the middle of Baghdad, so don't you think just maybe she might know a little more about what's going on than you do?

Now, McGavin, you know these armchair folks know so much more than I do because they watch so much more news on TV than I do.

I don't know nothin' 'but Iraq, Miz Scarlett! ;-)

[Allegra]

That's who I thought did it too.

Every Iraqi I've spoken with about that (and that's quite a few of them) to a person has said Iran did it. Every single one of them. Sunni and Shiite alike.

The U.S. troops are all pretty convinced of that as well.

You're in good company. :-D

[TXBSAFH]

Any seconaries from the mosque?

[IrishRainy]

Gosh, you almost sound like you know what you're talking about!

[McGavin999]

Sort of like that yahoo TV actor who thinks he knows more about what's happening in Iraq then the troops know because he reads 20 newspapers a day and the troops are just a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds who couldn't get a job?

LOL! Can't wait until the troops see of clip of that one.