Bomb explosions wound 9 Shiite pilgrims in Iraq
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Nine people were wounded Sunday in Baghdad in three bomb attacks targeting Shiite pilgrims during their days-long trip to a holy shrine for major religious gathering, an Interior Ministry source said.
A roadside bomb went off near a group of Shiite pilgrims who were travelling on foot in Baghdad's eastern district of al- Mashtel on their way to the holy city of Karbala, 110 km southwest of Baghdad, wounding three pilgrims, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Separately, another roadside bomb detonated near a group of pilgrims walking on the main road that passes through al-Yarmouk neighborhood in western Baghdad, wounding four of them, the source said.
Also in the day, a third roadside bomb hit another group in Baghdad's southern district of Saiydiyah, wounding two pilgrims, the source added.
Tens of thousands of Shiite pilgrims are marching from different Iraqi provinces to the holy city of Karbala to commemorate Arbaeen ritual slated for Feb. 5.
Major Shiite commemorations have frequently been targeted in the past by various armed groups in Iraq, mainly, to incite sectarian violence in the war-torn country.
Despite relative decline of violence, sporadic attacks are still common in Iraq as part of recent deterioration in security which shaped a setback to the efforts of the Iraqi government to restore normalcy in the country few weeks before March general elections.
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