Suicide bomber attacks Shiite pilgrims north of Hilla

BABEL / IraqiNews.com: A suicide bomber blew himself up on Friday targeting Shiite pilgrims in north of Hilla, with no reports on casualties, a police source said. “A bomber blew up an explosive belt strapped to his body on Friday (Feb. 13) in al-Askandariya district in north of Hilla among a crowd of Shiite pilgrims who are heading for Karbala,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. An official local source had said nearly 125,000 Arab and foreign pilgrims have arrived in Karbala for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, scheduled for Monday. The Arbaeen marks the 40th day after the death of Imam al-Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson and the third holiest figure for Shiite Muslims, in the battle of Taf in Karbala in the Hegira year 61 (680 in the Gregorian calendar). Scores of pilgrims from inside and outside Iraq have started the long trek on foot for the pilgrimage. Tight security measures have been in force and a large number of security personnel have been deployed in Iraq’s holy sites in preparation for the occasion. Hilla, the capital of Babel, is 100 km south of Baghdad. SH (P) 1