Suicide Bomber Target Arba’een Pilgrims
February 25, 2008
Above: An Iraqi soldier directs Shi’ite pilgrims
A suicide bomber kills at least 40 people at a Shi’ite rest stop outside the Hateen Apartments in Iskandiriyah City, Iraq. 25 out of the 60 more that were hurt are critically injured in the attack. The bombing vistims include women and children.
According to a United States military official, 42,000 pilgrims are gathered in the vicinity – all are walking towards Karbala City to attend the Arba’een ceremony of this Sunday. Arba’een is a Shi’a religious holiday that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashurah – which is commemorated by the Shi’a as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali at the Battle of Karbala. Husayn ibn Ali is the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
