16 Shia pilgrims killed in Baghdad bombing

Baghdad, May 2: At least 16 Shia pilgrims were killed and 43 injured in a car bomb explosion in Baghdad on Monday, police said.

A booby-trapped car was detoted near a procession of Shia pilgrims moving on foot in the southern part of the city, Xinhua news agency said.

The attack came as thousands of Shias marched from Baghdad districts to the mausoleum of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, also in Baghdad, to commemorate the death of the seventh of the most revered 12 Shia Imams.

Kadhim’s tomb is in a golden-domed mosque in the centre of the old part of the holy Shia Kadhimiyah district.

Insurgent groups, including Islamic State (IS) militant group, frequently attack Shia pilgrims who perform religious rituals in Iraq, killing and injuring hundreds in a bid to provoke sectarian strife.

Iraq has been witnessing a wave of violence since the IS took control of parts of Iraq’s northern and western regions in June 2014.

A report by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq has estimated that 1,119 Iraqis were killed and 1,561 others wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict across Iraq during March. (IANS)

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