Suicide Bomber Kills 46 Shiite Pilgrims in Baghdad

Suicide Bomber Kills 46 Shiite Pilgrims in Baghdad
A female suicide bomber on Monday killed at least 46 Shiite pilgrims in northern Baghdad who were making an annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala.

The attack, the latest in a string of violence in Iraq, wounded at least another 122 pilgrims, according to a senior Iraqi interior ministry official. The pilgrims had embarked on an annual walk to the southern city of Karbala as part of a Shiite Islamic commemoration that culminates Friday.
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Muslim Shiite pilgrims left Baghdad on their way to the holy city of Karbala to mark the Shiite mourning day of Arbaeen on Monday.
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"A suicide attacker wearing a belt of explosives targeted pilgrims on the main road in Bob al-Sham district, northern Baghdad around 12:30 p.m.," said the official.

The attack is the latest in a series of large-scale bombings in and around Baghdad. Last Monday, bombers targeted three Baghdad hotels. The following day, a vehicle-borne suicide bomb detonated near an investigations directorate, part of the ministry of interior.

The Islamic State of Iraq, an affiliate of the al Qaeda global terror network, claimed responsibility for both attacks. Large-scale bombings, targeting government ministries and buildings, have also rocked Baghdad in August, October and December, killing hundreds and undermining confidence in Iraqi security forces.

Iraqi government officials have said the attackers are trying to disrupt elections, slated for early March, and have warned violence could continue.

Of particular worry is any slide back into the sectarian killings that plagued Iraq in the years immediately following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Sunni and Shiite Muslims clashed frequently, plunging the country close to civil war.

This week, hundreds of thousands of Shiites are expected to walk to Karbala to mark the end of a 40-day mourning period that follows Ashura, the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure who is buried in the city.

National Security Minister Sherwan al-Waeli has been dispatched to Karbala by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to oversee security there, Iraqi news agency Aswat al-Iraq reported Monday.

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