Iraq’s Interior Ministry says six civilians have been killed in an explosion in a town south of the capital, Baghdad.
Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said six individuals wearing explosive belts “infiltrated into al-Jihad neighborhood” in the Ain al-Tamer town, west of Karbala, on Monday, Iraq’s al-Sumaria news website reported.
He said security forces, who had identified the attackers, engaged them, killing five of them. The sixth one, however, broke into a house and blew himself up, killing the six civilians and injuring six others.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast but Daesh is suspected.
The Associated Press separately quoted Maan as saying that the militants sought to infiltrate Iraq’s holy shrine city of Karbala.
Hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims from across the world are taking part in a march toward Karbala to attend mourning rituals on Arbaeen, which marks 40 days after the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Forces have tightened security for the mourners on their way to and in Karbala.
