A second day of attacks against pilgrims traveling to Karbala has left scores dead or injured in the holy city. Across the country at least eight Iraqis were killed and about 85 more were wounded, either in new attacks or the Karbala bombings.
As pilgrims gathered again today in Karbala, two people were killed and 26 more were wounded during a bomb blast. The bomb may have been attached to a motorcycle or a policeman’s car. The new bombing raises the number of casualties over the last two days to about 10 dead and 103 wounded. That means about 34 wounded were not immediately counted after yesterday’s two blasts. The pilgrims are in Karbala to observe the birth anniversary of Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi.
In Baghdad, gunmen wounded three people, including policemen, at a Zaafaraniya checkpoint. A bomb in Andulus Square killed two people and wounded nine others when it blasted their bus. Three more were wounded when a car triggered a bomb in Allawi Square. Another bomb wounded two more people in Doura.
In Mosul, five soldiers were wounded during a blast. Gunmen killed another soldier. Two other people were wounded in separate incidents. One soldier was killed west of Mosul, during a raid that netted one wanted man.
A roadside bomb killed one person and wounded another in the village of al-Bagdadi.
A police officer was killed after he was ambushed in Jalula.
Eight rockets fell on Bteira airport near Amara.
Authorities in Suleimaniya are bracing for new demonstrations against corruption in the Kurdish government.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki denied being informed about the Mubarak al Kabeer port after Kuwait‘s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, claimed it was discussed in the premier’s presence during recent talks. The prime minister says that Iraq only learned of it from third parties. Iraq wants construction on the mega-port be stopped, claiming that it will disrupt Iraq’s access to shipping lanes.
