2 men stole 17 cars captured in Karbala

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: Two men who confessed to having stolen 17 cars in the provinces of Baghdad and Karbala were arrested on Tuesday, according to a security source. “Following intelligence tips, security forces arrested a gang of two persons, who were involved in the stealing of cars at a checkpoint in Karbala…,” Lt. Col. Aqeel Hadi told IraqiNews.com. Those arrested have confessed to having stolen 11 cars in Karbala and six others in Baghdad, the official added. Karbala, with an estimated population of 572,300 people in 2003, is the capital of the province and is considered to be one of Shiite Muslims’ holiest cities. The city, 110 km south of Baghdad, is one of Iraq’s wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates. It is made up of two districts, “Old Karbala,” the religious centre, and “New Karbala,” the residential district containing Islamic schools and government buildings. At the centre of the old city is Masjid al-Hussein, the tomb of Hussein Ibn Ali, grandsone of the Prophet Muhammad by his daughter Fatima al-Zahraa and Ali Ibn Abi Taleb. Imam Hussien’s tomb is a place of pilgrimage for many Shiite Muslims, especially on the anniversary of the battle, the Day of Ashuraa. Many elderly pilgrims travel there to await death, as they believe the tomb to be one of the gates to paradise. On April 14, 2007, a car bomb exploded about 600 ft (200 m) from the shrine, killing 47 and wounding over 150. SS (S) 1