By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
BAGHDAD, Iraq – A double car bombing on February 5 in the southern city of Karbala killed at least thirty two individuals. The attacks also left over one hundred people wounded. The dead and injured were among the hundreds of thousands of Shi’ite pilgrims who commemorated a major Shi’ite Muslim holy day in Karbala.
This bombing followed two other attacks against the pilgrims in the past week. The other attacks caused the deaths of over seventy pilgrims who were on their way to Karbala. The attack took place on the last and most important day of the Arbaeen. The holy day marks the fortieth day of mourning for the prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein. Imam Hussein was killed in a seventh century battle in Karbala.
The attack took place at the eastern entrance to the city, one of the three main entrances to Karbala. During this time pilgrims from around Iraq were leaving the commemorations that were taking place in the city center. The first explosion was caused by a car bomb that exploded near a hospitality tent. The tent had been erected to offer refreshments. Moments later a second explosion went off as a suicide bomber drove a vehicle through the carnage created by the first bombing. There were some reports that the car bomb attacks were followed up by mortar rounds.
Attacks on the Shi’ite pilgrims during Abaeen were not a surprise to the Iraqi government’ Major General Qassim al-Moussawi, Baghdad’s security spokesman, said in a statement that “the terrorist groups are gathering together all their capabilities to launch attacks during Arbaeen and after it.” Moussawi continue, saying that “the coming days will see these terrorist groups carrying out other attempts whenever they get a chance.”
Close to thirty thousand troops and police have been deployed to protect the Shi’ite pilgrims. Mohammed al-Moussawi, head of the provincial council, estimated that seven million pilgrims visited Karbala in the past ten days.
Overall there have been eight suicide bombings in Iraq in the last eleven days, targeting hotels and government buildings as well as pilgrims. Officials view this as a sign that the Sunni extremist insurgency appears to be regrouping in an attempt to destabilize Iraq ahead of the March 7 election.
For more information, please see:
Al Jazeera – Deadly Blast in Iraq’s Karbala City – 5 February 2010
BBC – Bombings Hit Iraq Shia Pilgrims in Karbala – 5 February 2010
Los Angeles Times – Double Bombing Kills 32 in Iraq – 5 February 2010
Washington Post – Iraqi police: Attacks Kill 28 Shiite Pilgrims – 5 February 2010
