Eight killed, 88 wounded in two Karbala explosions

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: At least 8 people have been killed and 88 others injured, all visitors to southwestern Iraq‘s Shiite holy city of Karbala, in two booby-trapped car explosions, a Karbala official source said on Monday. “Karbala city witnessed two booby-trapped car blasts, the first in the east of the city and the second in Ibrahimiya district, some 5 km to the east of the city,” according to a security source. On Jan. 20, 2011, Karbala witnessed two explosions, the first close to a checkpoint north of the city and the second close to an inspection point south of the city, killing 33 visitors and wounding 203 others, according to a statement by the city’s Medical Operations Director. The holy city of Karbala is currently accomodating millions of visitors from Iraq, Arab and foreign countries, to commemorate the 40th Day of the Imam Hussein’s Martrydom Day in the 61st Muslim Hijri Year in the dawn of Islam. Karbala, the center of Karbala Province, is 108 km to the south of Baghdad.  . SKH (TP)/SR 629