Iraq’s Shiite 10th Ashura Celebrations end with participation of millions:

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s 10th Ashura Celebration, marking the anniversary of martyrdom of Imam Hussein Bin-Ali, Prophet Mohammed’s Grandson, have ended in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Friday, according to its Governor, Amal Al-Din al-Hir, who expressed gratitude for its citizens, who shared in the success of the occasion, with their hospitality and feeding of millions of people, who attended the occasion, whilst security officials have reiterated the success of the celebrations in Wassit, Kirkuk, Missan Provinces, as well as north Iraq’s Talaafar city. “Among the 3-4 million people, who attended the occasion, there had been over 150,000 (non-Iraqi) Arabs and foreigners from 25 different world states,” the Governor said, adding that over 30,000 security elements had been employed to protect security in the region, along with the air force that protected its skies all through Thursday and Friday.” In southern Iraq’s Missan Province, the Director of Public Relations & Medai in its Police Force, Ghassan Adnan Hammoudi, told IraqiNews.com news agecny, had reaffirmed the success of the security plan to protect the visitirs, who shared in processions in the province’s Husseiniyas (Shiite mosques) and the other Muslim mosques. In northern Iraq’s Kirkuk city, Ahl Al-Beit (Prophet Mohammed’s Ancestors House) and other Husseiniyas and Mosques have celebrated the occasion, with the participation of thousands of both Shiite and Sunni citizens, comprisng the Arabs, Turkomen and Kurds in the Province. In northern Iraq’s Talaafar city, in Ninewa Province, its Police Director said that over 30,000 people have completed their Ashura 10th celebrations on Friday in three main areas of the city, without witnessing any security violation, due to the strict measures carried out by the Iraqi troops. Talaafar, 60 kms to the northwest of Mosul, is inhabited by a Turkomen majority of Sunnis and Shiites, and had witnssed several violence acts that caused hundrds of victims over the past few years that followed the downfall of Iraq’s former Baath regime in 2003. SKH 14