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THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 10 2012 23:18 | LAST UPDATED Feb 10 2012 23:18 |
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A female suicide bomber laden with explosives blew herself up on Monday among Shi'ite pilgrims on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killing at least 41 people, security officials said. Iraq is trying to leave years of bombings, killings and sectarian slaughter behind as it moves to cement security gains made in the last two years and revamp an oil sector that gives Iraq nearly all of its revenues. The bombing took place as thousands of Shi'ite Muslims flooded the streets for the start of an arduous trek to the southern city of Kerbala, 80km south-west of Baghdad, for the religious rite of Arbain. An Interior Ministry source and a police official said 41 people died and 106 were wounded in what they said was an attack on a tent where pilgrims are given food and drink. The office of Baghdad security spokesperson Major General Qassim al-Moussawi said the attack occurred in a crowd and that 19 people were killed, with 80 wounded. The attack took place as the nation geared up for a March election when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government was expected to run on improved security and trumpet a series of oil deals that may vault Iraq into the world's top three crude exporters. It now the number 11 producer. More attacks are likely during the Arbain religious period and before the election as suspected Sunni Islamist groups try to undermine Maliki's Shi'ite-led government. Millions of Shi'ites from Iraq, Iran, Bahrain and other nations have defied the threat of suicide bombings since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled the Sunni-led government of Saddam Hussein to visit Iraq's Shi'ite holy sites. Arbain marks 40 days of mourning for Hussein, Prophet Muhammad's grandson, who died in a seventh century battle at Kerbala. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, beating their heads and chests in ritual mourning, pour into the city for the rite.  CONTINUES BELOW Many walk from hundreds of kilometres away. Arbain was once suppressed like other Shi'ite gatherings under Saddam. -- Reuters TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
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