Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Environment
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Female bomber kills 32 on Iraqi pilgrimage route
Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:07am EST
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Wisam Mohammed and Sami al-Jumaili
KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) - A female suicide bomber blew herself up in a crowd of Shi'ite pilgrims on Friday, killing 32 people and wounding 84 others south of Baghdad during one of the holiest events of the Shi'ite calendar, police said.
The attack on the pilgrimage route in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital, came a day after a bomb killed eight in the Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala, to which hundreds of thousands if not millions were headed to mark Arbain.
Arbain is one of the most important Shi'ite Muslim rites, and marks the end of a mourning period after the anniversary of the death in battle in the seventh century of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein.
Some pilgrims, hardened to attacks by suspected Sunni Islamist insurgents in the years since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, said the bombs would not deter them.
"We came here for the pilgrimage. Nothing will stop us. We aren't afraid. We've been through worse events in the past," said 63-year-old Sadia Ali, who had traveled to Kerbala from Baghdad's Sadr City slum.
The attacks occurred despite heavy security on the pilgrimage route. The ranks of troops and police patrolling Kerbala were boosted by 5,000 to 30,000, a city official said.
The Arbain rite, which culminates early on Monday, is difficult to secure. Many pilgrims walk all the way to Kerbala, and are easy targets as they cover hundreds of miles clutching religious banners.
Shi'ite religious rites have drawn huge crowds in Iraq since the invasion that toppled the Sunni-led government of Saddam Hussein, who curtailed large Shi'ite gatherings.
The events have been regular targets of Sunni insurgents such as al Qaeda during the sectarian bloodshed that followed Saddam's fall. Al Qaeda views Shi'ites as heretics. A suicide attack during Arbain last year killed 63 people.
"These cowardly actions will not undermine the determination and patience of the pilgrims. We call upon our people and especially the security forces to take more precautions and be alert," said a statement on the website of Ayatollah Sadiq al-Husseini al-Shirazi, a member of Iraq's top Shi'ite clergy.
HIGH ALERT
Many women and children were among the dead and wounded in Friday's attack, police said. Emergency services were on high alert, and people were asked to give blood as a precaution.
"I have been sleeping in the ambulance," said emergency worker Ahmed Kadhom.
Kadhom said that after Thursday's attack, he saw a grief-stricken man carrying his dead young son.
"He was shouting and crying. I will never forget this scene," he said. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
My Web
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
Israel's Livni, Netanyahu may seek unity coalition
Also on Reuters
Every day is Friday 13th for Dublin finance hub
U.S. judges admit to jailing children for money
Video
Video: Former Wall St bankers find life in trash
More International News
Israel's Livni, Netanyahu may seek unity coalition
| Video
U.S. offers Moscow concession on missile shield
| Video
Australian man charged over deadly bushfires
| Video
North Korea assembling longest-range missile: report
Algeria twin bombings kill seven: APS news agency
More International News...
Related News
Unfair polls may shatter Iraq's stability: Allawi
10:07am EST
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Plane hits house in Buffalo, 50 dead | Video
Doomed plane suddenly lost contact: tower tapes
Chavez denounces new plot before Venezuela vote
Australian man arrested over deadly bushfires-media
Threats send California octuplets mom into hiding
Gold sets record highs as global stocks slide
Russian warship seizes 3 pirate ships off Somalia
Third Obama cabinet nominee withdraws name | Video
"Friday the 13th" now makes for a dull date
Microsoft to open own stores, take on Apple
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Dozens die in NY plane crash
Luxury out of style?
Former bankers find life in trash
Dozens die in New York air crash
Obama's stimulus gamble
U.S. and Russia satellites collide
Schoolboy is iPhone whizz
Koala bushfire survivor wins hearts
Wind storms knock out power
Holbrooke in Pakistan
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
Reuters Deals
The global destination for corporate leaders, deal-makers and innovators
Knowledge to Act
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Interactive TV |
Labs |
Reuters in Second Life |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.