A barrage of mortar shells has killed one person near Karbala in Iraq as millions of Shias are gathering in the holy city to commemorate Arba’een, police say.
“There were one person killed and four wounded when mortar rounds hit an area on the western side of the city” shortly after midnight, a police colonel said on Friday.
The mortar rounds landed in an area called Souk al-Basra, around seven kilometers from the city center.
According to the police official, the victims were residents and not pilgrims.
The toll was also confirmed by medical sources in the holy city.
Shia pilgrims are rushing to Karbala to attend the mourning rituals of Arbaeen, which marks the 40th day after the anniversary of the martyrdom of the third Shia imam, Imam Hussein (PBUH), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
This year’s Arbaeen falls on December 13.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi said on Thursday that more than 17 million pilgrims had come to Karbala for Arba’een, which sees one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
Iraqi forces have tightened security to protect pilgrims against terrorist attacks ahead of the mourning rituals.
