Two militants, attempting Shia visitors suicide attacks in Baghdad, killed
Shia pilgrims at the Iraqi holy city of Karbala.
“Two suicide bombers, wearing suicide belts, attempted to target visitors of Arba’ineyat al-Imam Hussein [40 days after his death] in al-Radwaniyah region, southwest of Baghdad. However, security troops managed to kill them immediately,” Lt. Gen. Jalil al-Ruba’iy told AlSumaria News on Tuesday.
“One of the attackers was blown up after he was killed, with no casualties reported,” he added. “Security troops tighten measures to prevent any violations.”
Millions of Muslims from inside and outside Iraq head toward Karbala province to visit shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother abul Fadhl al-Abbas, to commemorate the passing of 40 days after their death. Islamic State militants attempt targeting the visitors, while security services highten measures to repulse such attacks.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
114 Iraqi civilians were killed, while 244 others were wounded as result of terrorism, violence and armed conflicts, according to a monthly release by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), issued on Wednesday.
Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate, coming in the first place with 177 civilian casualties (38 killed, 139 injured). Anbar province followed with 36 killed and 55 injured, and then Kirkuk with 18 killed and 33 injured.
The Iraqi capital has seen almost daily bombings and armed attacks against security members, paramilitary troops and civilians since the Iraqi government launched a wide-scale campaign to retake Islamic State-occupied areas in 2016.