300+ killed in 25 bomb blasts in Iraq's capital: انفجار سياره مفخخه بساحة العروبة واخرى بساحة الزهراء بالكاظمية المقدسه شمالي بغداد

SECURITY: Explosions kill 9, injure 35 in east Baghdad's Sadr city 1/5/2012 10:00 AM BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: At least 9 civilians have been killed and 35 others injured in 2 successive explosions and a motorbike blast in east Baghdad's Sadr city on Thursday morning, a security source reported. "Two explosive charges blew off early today (Thursday) close to al-Sadr Public hospital early on Thursday, killing and wounding a number of civilians," the security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. Iraqi Security forces remove 720 road blocks from Sadr city today. District completely open for the first time He said that "a motorbike blew off early in the day against a group of workers in Jamila district of al-Sadr city, also causing many casualties.| The security source stressed that the "final result of the explosions have reached 9 civilians killed and 35 others injured, some seriously, that could raise the number of casualties to a higher figure," adding that the security forces rushed to the venues of the blasts, giving no further details. ================ 05 Jan 2012 07:07 Source: Reuters // Reuters (Updates toll, adds details, background) Two car bombs kill 12 in Iraq's capital-police 05 Jan 2012 07:17 Source: Reuters // Reuters BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed and 32 others wounded when two car bombs exploded in a mainly Shi'ite area in northwestern Baghdad, Iraqi police said on Thursday. The blasts occurred in Kadhimiya district and followed two earlier explosions that killed 10 people and wounded 37 others in Sadr City, another mainly Shi'ite area in the capital. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem; Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Sophie Hares) By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded in a mainly Shi'ite Muslim area of Iraq's capital Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 10 people and wounding 37, police and hospital sources said. One bomb was planted on a parked motorcycle and the other was a roadside device, a police source said. The attacks occurred in the impoverished Sadr City neighbourhood in northeast Baghdad. "There was a group of day labourers gathered, waiting to be hired for work. Someone brought his small motorcycle and parked it nearby. A few minutes later it blew up, killed some people, wounded others and burned some cars," said a police officer at the scene, declining to be named. A Reuters reporter said there were blood stains all around the site of the motorcycle bomb attack and that tarmac on the road had been ripped up by the explosion. Building tools and shoes were scattered across the site. Police said they found and defused two other bombs. Iraq is still plagued by a deadly Sunni Muslim insurgency and Shi'ite militias nearly nine years after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Sadr City is a stronghold of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose Mehdi militia once fought U.S. and Iraqi troops. He is now a key ally of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. A political crisis that erupted shortly after U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq on Dec. 18 has revived concerns about sectarian strife in Iraq, which teetered on the brink of civil war in 2006-7. Maliki angered rivals when he asked parliament to have his Sunni deputy Saleh al-Mutlaq removed and sought an arrest warrant for Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on charges he ran death squads. On Tuesday, members of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc boycotted Iraq's parliament and cabinet, accusing Maliki's bloc of governing alone in a power-sharing coalition that was supposed to ease sectarian tensions. A spate of bombings that killed 72 people in mainly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad a few days after the political crisis began have only deepened the fears of rising sectarian tensions. The inclusion of Iraqiya in the governing coalition was widely considered crucial to prevent a slide back into the kind of sectarian violence that was unleashed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Thousands were killed in the violence. Many Sunnis have complained of being sidelined in the political process since Saddam was ousted and the majority Shi'ites dominated the government. (Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Ralph Gowling) =================== عاجل , مصدر امني ... انفجار سياره مفخخه بساحة العروبة واخرى بساحة الزهراء بالكاظمية المقدسه شمالي بغداد ........ ومن المتوقع بدئ سلسلة انفجارات فالى ذلك نسترعي انتباه المواطنين ..(( انشر ابويه انشر )) عاجل ..... عاجل ..... عاجل انفجارين كبيرين يهزان مدينة الكاظمية الاولى في ساحة العروبة والثانية في الشوصة وصقوط شهداء وجرحى وورود معلومات عن وجود سيارة ثالثة في شارع النواب عاجل ..... عاجل ..... عاجل انفجارين كبيرين يهزان مدينة الكاظمية الاولى في ساحة العروبة والثانية في الشوصة وصقوط شهداء وجرحى وورود معلومات عن وجود سيارة ثالثة في شارع النواب ============== مقتل وإصابة 23 شخصا بتفجير مزدوج شرق بغداد المحرر: HAH الخميس 05 ك2 2012 05:41 GMT السومرية نيوز/ بغداد أفاد مصدر في الشرطة العراقية، الخميس، بأن 23 شخصا سقطوا بين قتيل وجريح بتفجير مزدوج بعبوتين ناسفتين في مدينة الصدر شرق بغداد. وقال المصدر في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "عبوة ناسفة انفجرت، صباح اليوم، في منطقة الداخل التابعة لمدينة الصدر، شرق بغداد، من دون معرفة حجم الخسائر البشرية والمادية"، مضيفا أن "عبوة ثانية انفجرت مستهدفة دوريات الشرطة التي هرعت إلى منطقة الحادث، مما أدى إلى مقتل ثلاثة أشخاص وإصابة 20 آخرين بجروح متفاوتة". وأضاف المصدر الذي طلب عدم الكشف عن اسمه، أن "سيارات الإسعاف هرعت إلى منطقة الحادث ونقلت الجرحى إلى مستشفى قريب لتلقي العلاج وجثث القتلى إلى دائرة الطب العدلي، فيما فرضت قوة امنية طوقا امنيا على منطقة الحادث وتمكنت من إبطال مفعول عبوة ثالثة، من دون وقوع خسائر بشرية او مادية". وشهدت بغداد، أمس الاربعاء، مقتل قيادي في الصحوة وزوجته بهجوم مسلح نفذه مجهولون يرتدون زيا عسكريا على منزله في قضاء أبو غريب غرب العاصمة، فيما اعتقلت قوة امنية 10 من عناصر تنظيم القاعدة وعثرت على مخبأ للعتاد وأسلحة مقاومة للطائرات خلال عملية أمنية نفذتها جنوب بغداد. يذكر أن العاصمة بغداد شهدت خلال العام الماضي، ارتفاعاً في وتيرة أعمال العنف كان أخرها مقتل 63 شخصا وإصابة 197 آخرين، في الـ22 من كانون الأول الماضي، بسلسلة تفجيرات بعبوات ناسفة ولاصقة وأحزمة ناسفة وسيارات مفخخة، في وقت تعيش فيه البلاد أزمة سياسية كبيرة تتمثل بإصدار مذكرة قبض بحق نائب رئيس الجمهورية القيادي في القائمة العراقية طارق الهاشمي، وتقديم رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي طلباً إلى البرلمان بسحب الثقة عن نائبه القيادي في القائمة العراقية أيضا صالح المطلك، الأمر الذي دفع القائمة العراقية بزعامة إياد علاوي إلى تعليق عضويتها في مجلسي الوزراء والنواب، وتقديمها طلباً إلى البرلمان بحجب الثقة عن رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي. ======================== مقتل وإصابة 60 شخصا حصيلة تفجير الكاظمية المزدوج المحرر: HAH الخميس 05 ك2 2012 07:18 GMT تفجير سيارة مفخخة (الارشيف) السومرية نيوز/ بغداد أفاد مصدر في الشرطة العراقية، الخميس، بان 60 شخصا سقطوا بين قتيل وجريح حصيلة التفجير المزدوج بسيارتين مفخختين بمنطقة الكاظمية شمال بغداد. وقال المصدر في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "حصيلة التفجير المزدوج بسيارتين مفخختين في منطقة الكاظمية، شمال بغداد، بلغت 10 قتلى و50 جريحا"، مرجحا "ارتفاع حصيلة الضحايا بسبب شدة التفجير". وأضاف المصدر الذي طلب عدم الكشف عن اسمه، أن "سيارات الإسعاف هرعت إلى منطقة الحادث ونقلت الجرحى إلى مستشفى قريب لتلقي العلاج وجثث القتلى إلى دائرة الطب العدلي، فيما فرضت قوة أمنية طوقا أمنيا على منطقة الحادث وقطعت جميع الطرق المؤدية اليه". وكان مصدر في الشرطة العراقية قال في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، في وقت سابق من اليوم، إن عددا من الاشخاص سقطوا بين قتيل وجريح بتفجير مزدوج بسيارتين مفخختين بمنطقة الكاظمية، شمال بغداد. وشهدت بغداد، اليوم، مقتل 10 اشخاص وإصابة 35 آخرين بتفجير مزدوج بعبوتين ناسفتين في مدينة الصدر، شرق بغداد. يذكر أن العاصمة بغداد شهدت خلال العام الماضي، ارتفاعاً في وتيرة أعمال العنف كان أخرها مقتل 63 شخصا وإصابة 197 آخرين، في الـ22 من كانون الأول الماضي، بسلسلة تفجيرات بعبوات ناسفة ولاصقة وأحزمة ناسفة وسيارات مفخخة، في وقت تعيش فيه البلاد أزمة سياسية كبيرة تتمثل بإصدار مذكرة قبض بحق نائب رئيس الجمهورية القيادي في القائمة العراقية طارق الهاشمي، وتقديم رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي طلباً إلى البرلمان بسحب الثقة عن نائبه القيادي في القائمة العراقية أيضا صالح المطلك، الأمر الذي دفع القائمة العراقية بزعامة إياد علاوي إلى تعليق عضويتها في مجلسي الوزراء والنواب، وتقديمها طلباً إلى البرلمان بحجب الثقة عن رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي. ================== Four blasts kill 25 in Iraq's capital 05 Jan 2012 08:05 Source: Reuters // Reuters People gather at the site of a bomb attack in Sadr city, eastern Baghdad January 5, 2012. REUTERS/Ali al-Mashhadani * At least 25 dead, 69 wounded by four bomb blasts * Attacks in mainly Shi'ite Muslim areas of Baghdad * Spate of violence comes after PM sparks political crisis By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Four bombs in mainly Shi'ite Muslim areas in Iraq's capital Baghdad killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens of others on Thursday, police and hospital sources said. Fears are escalating of increased sectarian strife after Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sought the removal of two senior Sunni politicians just as U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq - the worst political crisis in a year. In Baghdad's northwestern Kadhimiya district, two car bombs killed at least 15 people and wounded 32 others, the sources said. Another two bombs, one planted on a parked motorcycle and another, also a roadside device, killed at least 10 people and wounded 37 others in the impoverished Sadr City district in northeastern Baghdad, they said. "There was a group of day labourers gathered, waiting to be hired for work. Someone brought his small motorcycle and parked it nearby. A few minutes later it blew up, killed some people, wounded others and burned some cars," said a police officer at the scene, declining to be named. A Reuters reporter said there were blood stains all around the site of the motorcycle bomb attack and that tarmac on the road had been ripped up by the explosion. Building tools and shoes were scattered across the site. Police said they found and defused two other bombs. ===================== Iraq is still plagued by a deadly Sunni Muslim insurgency and Shi'ite militias nearly nine years after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Sadr City is a stronghold of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose Mehdi militia once fought U.S. and Iraqi troops. He is now a key ally of Maliki. The premier angered rivals when he asked parliament to have his Sunni deputy Saleh al-Mutlaq removed and sought an arrest warrant for Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on charges he ran death squads. On Tuesday, members of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc boycotted Iraq's parliament and cabinet, accusing Maliki's bloc of governing alone in a power-sharing coalition that was supposed to ease sectarian tensions. A spate of bombings that killed 72 people in mainly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad a few days after the political crisis began has only deepened the fears of a return to sectarian strife in Iraq, which teetered on the brink of civil war in 2006-7. The inclusion of Iraqiya in the governing coalition was widely considered crucial to prevent a return to the kind of sectarian violence that was unleashed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Thousands were killed in the violence. Many Sunnis complain of having been sidelined in the political process since Saddam was ousted and the majority Shi'ites dominated the government. (Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Louise Ireland) ===================== Toll from south Iraq bomb rises to 30 killed-official 05 Jan 2012 12:12 Source: Reuters // Reuters BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber targetting Shi'ite pilgrims killed at least 30 people and wounded at least 70 others in southern Iraq on Thursday, Qusay al-Abadi, head of the provincial council in Nassiriya said. Abadi and local security sources said the attack occurred at a police checkpoint just west of Nassiriya, 300 kilometres (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad. Police sources initially said the explosion was a roadside bomb. (Reporting by Suadad al-Salhy; Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Sophie Hares) SECURITY: 5 visitors killed, 10 injured in Shiite Religious occasion west of Nassiriya city 1/5/2012 2:43 PM SECURITY: Victims of al-Batha'a township, Thi-Qar Province, rise to 30 killed, 70 injured 1/5/2012 4:27 PM THI-QAR / Aswat al-Iraq: The result of the explosion that took place in Batha'a township west of Nassirya city, the center of Thi-Qar Province, has risen to 30 visitors killed and over 70 injured, according to a Thi-Qar security source on Thursday. "A man, wearing an explosive belt, blew himself up during lunch time against the visitors of the 40th anniversary Day of Imam Hussein Bin-Ali's martyrdom at the dawn of Islam, has reached 30 persons killed and 70 others injured," the security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. He said the casualty figure might rise, because the number of visitors had been huge, during their gathering for lunch on Thursday noon, adding that the wounded people were driven to hospitals, and other visitors were kept away from the area of the explosion, to avoid another blast that might cause further casualties. THI-QAR / Aswat al-Iraq: Five visitors of the occasion of the 40th Day of the Anniversary of Imam Hussein Bin-Ali's Martyrdom have been killed and ten others were injured, in an explosive charge explosion in al-Bat'haa township, west of Nassiriya, the center of southern Iraq's Thi-Qar Province on Thursday, a security source reported. "An explosive charge blew off against the visitors of Imam Hussein's 40th Day Martyrdom anniversary, killing 5 visitors and wounding 10 others, close to al-Bat'haa entrance west of Nassirya, while heading to Karbala city to commemorate the occasion," the security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. ============== Blasts hit Shi'ite pilgrims in Iraq, 15 dead, 52 hurt 09 Jan 2012 19:28 Source: Reuters // Reuters Iraqi Shiite Muslim pilgrims walk to the holy city of Kerbala to mark Arbain in Baghdad's Doura District January 9, 2012. Arbain falls 40 days after the Shi'ite holy day of Ashura. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani * Pilgrims headed to Kerbala for Arbain rite * Iraq political crisis threatens shaky coalition government (Adds details, background) By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded near crowds of Shi'ite pilgrims walking through Iraq's capital on Monday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 52 others, police and hospital sources said. Thousands of Shi'ites are making the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Kerbala for the Arbain religious rite amid Iraq's worst political crisis in a year after the Shi'ite-led government moved against two prominent Sunni politicians. The crisis threatens to unravel Iraq's fragile coalition government of Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions and has raised fears of renewed sectarian violence. Police and hospital sources said a suicide bomber drove a car from a side road into a group of pilgrims in a main road in the Bayaa district of southwestern Baghdad, killing nine people and wounding 28 others. In the northern Shaab district of the capital, a car parked near a market exploded, killing two civilians and four police officers assigned to protect the pilgrims, and wounding 24 other people, the sources said. The explosion had little impact on the market because it was tucked behind thick concrete blast walls. Unprotected pilgrims on the other side of the road got the brunt of the explosion, a police officer said. Shi'ite pilgrims have been under attack for days in Iraq. The explosion of two roadside bombs in southern Baghdad earlier in the day killed at least two people and wounded 12, while a sticky bomb attached to a bus carrying Afghan pilgrims blew up late on Sunday, wounding nine. Last Thursday, bombings in mainly Shi'ite areas killed at least 73 people and wounded scores of others. The largest toll occurred at a police checkpoint near the southern city of Nassiriya where a suicide bomber killed 44 and wounded 81. Arbain marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed who was killed in a 7th century battle in Kerbala. Shi'ites believe his remains are entombed there. Shi'ite rituals have been a target for attacks since Saddam Hussein was ousted in the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. Some Sunni Islamist groups such as al Qaeda view Shi'ites as heretics. The annual event draws hundreds of thousands from Iraq's Shi'ite majority who were unable to practise such rites freely under Saddam, a Sunni Arab. Thousands of Shi'ites come to Iraq from other countries, mainly neighbouring Iran, for the rite. Iraq's worst political crisis since the contentious formation of its cross-sectarian government in 2010 erupted when Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sought the arrest of Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi and the removal of Maliki's Sunni deputy, Saleh al-Mutlaq. The moves came shortly after the last U.S. troops left Iraq on Dec. 18 and were followed a few days later by a series of bombings in mainly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad that killed more than 70 people, reviving concerns of renewed sectarian conflict. Thousands of people were killed by the sectarian slaughter unleashed by the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam. (Writing by Jim Loney; Editing by Matthew Jones) =============== TIMELINE-Deadliest attacks in Iraq in last year 09 Jan 2012 19:51 Source: Reuters // Reuters Jan 9 (Reuters) - Here are details of some of the major attacks in Iraq in the past year: Jan. 18, 2011 - A suicide bomber attacks Iraqi police recruits in Tikrit, killing 50 people and wounding over 100. Jan. 20 - Two separate car bombs kill up to 45 pilgrims near Iraq's holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala ahead of the culmination of a major Shi'ite Muslim religious rite. Jan. 27 - A car bomb at a wake in a Shi'ite part of Baghdad kills more than 35 people and wounds scores of others. March 29 - At least 53 people are killed and 98 wounded when gunmen take hostages at a provincial council headquarters in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, precipitating a battle with security forces who sweep in to end the siege. Aug. 15 - A wave of attacks strike cities across Iraq, killing around 70 people and wounding more than 200 in the bloodiest day yet in 2011. -- In the worst incident, a roadside bomb followed by a car bomb targeting police kills at least 37 people in Kut, 150 km (95 miles) southeast of Baghdad. Other deadly attacks took place in Tikrit, Najaf, Diyala and Kerbala. Aug. 28 - A bomber wearing a cast on his arm blows himself up in the main hall of the Umm al-Qura mosque, an important Sunni religious site in Baghdad. At least 32 people are killed and 39 wounded. -- Leaders of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a major Sunni political bloc, said Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), an affiliate al Qaeda, carried out the bombing to hit one of IIP's most prominent leaders, Sunni lawmaker Khalid al-Fihdawi. Dec. 22 - More than 10 coordinated bombings strike Baghdad, killing at least 72 people, with around 200 wounded. -- At least 18 people are killed when a suicide bomber detonated an ambulance he was driving near a government office in the Karrada district. More bombs explode in the central Alawi area, Shaab and Shula in the north, all mainly Shi'ite areas. -- The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for al Qaeda-linked insurgents, later claims responsibility. Jan. 5, 2012 - Four bombs in mainly Shi'ite Muslim areas of Baghdad kill at least 73 people. -- The biggest attack was beside a police checkpoint west of Nassiriya in the south, where a suicide bomber targeting Shi'ite pilgrims killed 44 people and wounded 81. Jan. 9 - Two car bombs kill at least 15 people and wound 52 in the capital. (Reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit) ===================== Shi'ites brave crisis, bombs for Iraq pilgrimage 10 Jan 2012 16:06 Source: Reuters // Reuters * Streets of Iraqi capital filled with pilgrims * Thousands of Iranians crossing every day * Iraq political crisis no deterrant to walkers By Mohammed Ameer and Aref Mohammed BAGHDAD/SHALAMCHA CROSSING, Iraq, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims are pouring into Iraq's holy city of Kerbala, despite having become the main targets of a bombing campaign that followed the withdrawal of U.S. troops last month. A political crisis since the U.S. withdrawal has raised fears among many Iraqis of a return to the sectarian slaughter in which tens of thousands were killed in 2006-07. Attacks targetting Shi'ites have killed scores of people since the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki issued an arrest warrant for a Sunni vice president and the main Sunni backed party boycotted parliament. Pilgrims have choked the streets of the capital Baghdad and border crossings with Iran this week for Arbain, one of the main holy days of the Shi'ite calendar. Many pilgrims say they are fully aware of the dangers but are determined to commemorate the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed who was killed in a 7th century battle in Kerbala. "I am not afraid to come to Iraq, but I have a 4-year-old child I left in Iran and I wrote my will before coming here," Zahraa Qaeli, a 32-year-old Iranian housewife from Khorramshahr, told Reuters at the Shalamcha crossing on the border near Basra. Arbain has been a frequent target of militants since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, who banned Shi'ite festivals. Scores of people have been killed and more than 200 wounded in attacks on pilgrims in the last five days. In the worst, a suicide attacker detonated a bomb at a checkpoint crowded with pilgrims near Nassiriya on Thursday, killing 44, part of a wave of attacks that day in mainly Shi'ite areas that killed at least 73 people. A series of bombs in mainly Shi'ite districts of Baghdad on Dec. 22 killed 72 people. Nonetheless, traffic across the Iraqi capital has been diverted or tied up for days as thousands of defiant pilgrims make the 80 kilometre walk to Kerbala. Tents are set up along main roads to serve food and drinks and provide beds for pilgrims, and ambulances stand at ready to offer emergency medical care. 'WELCOME MARTYRDOM' "I would definitely sacrifice my soul for Imam Hussein. Even if this political crisis is followed by bombings, that does not deter me from the pilgrimage along with my friends," said Abdul-Hussein al-Obeidi, 45, who carried a green flag bearing an image of Hussein. "We welcome martyrdom for the sake of Imam Hussein," said one of Obeidi's companions, who wore a blue track suit and walked with a cane. Iraq in general, and Baghdad in particular, saw devastating sectarian violence between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims in 2006-07, and is still plagued by a Sunni insurgency and Shi'ite militias. "I avoid some dangerous Baghdad districts, such as Doura," said Abdullah, 45, walking quickly with his brother as he pointed towards the former Sunni insurgent stronghold. Many of the recent suicide and car bomb attacks against pilgrims bore the signature of methods used by the Iraq branch of al Qaeda. "I defy terrorists. They are a few gangsters, while we are the majority here," said Zahraa, 22, who wore a niqab that revealed only her eyes as she sat at a roadside tent in Baghdad. "This is my fourth pilgrimage to Imam Hussein despite a trip of several days." An official at the Shalamcha border point said 36,000 Iranians had crossed in eight days, and the number had climbed to 8,000 to 9,000 a day, with bigger numbers expected before the rite reaches a peak on Friday and Saturday. Iraqi officials usually put the number of Arbain attendees in the millions, many from mainly Shi'ite Iran. "This the first time I have come to Iraq. The situation here is great. We haven't encountered any problems," Iranian civil servant Muhsen Shehrazad, 27, said. "I am not afraid of the security situation. The love and passion we hold for Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, will not be dispelled by intimidation and explosions. Dying in the path of Hussein's passion is a wish." (Editing by Jim Loney and Peter Graff) ==================== Bomber kills 32 in attack on Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims 14 Jan 2012 09:17 Source: Reuters // Reuters * Scores wounded, toll rising * Bomber disguised himself as police officer * Militants attack Shi'ite pilgrims (Updates toll) By Aref Mohammed BASRA, Iraq, Jan 14 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman killed at least 32 people and wounded scores in an attack on Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims at a checkpoint in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Saturday, police said. The attack at the end of Arbain, one of the main religious observances on the Shi'ite calendar, came as a political crisis in the Shi'ite-led government renewed fears of a return to sectarian violence in the country. "A terrorist wearing a police uniform and carrying fake police I.D. managed to reach a police checkpoint and blew himself up among police and pilgrims," said a police official at the scene of the bombing. The pilgrims had been on their way to a major Shi'ite mosque to the west of Basra, police said. Security forces sealed off the main hospital in Basra, fearing further attacks. Weeping relatives gathered at the hospital as soldiers, police and civilians rushed blood-covered victims there. Some of the wounded were stuffed into car trunks. "Now we have 32 killed and more than 100 wounded," said Ahmed al-Sulaiti, deputy head of the Basra provincial council. "We are waiting for more details from the security forces about the reasons behind the attack and how they managed to do it." A provincial health official who asked not to be named put the toll at 35 dead and 90 wounded. Arbain has been a repeated target of militants since the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein. Scores of people have been killed in attacks on pilgrims in the last few weeks, including a suicide bombing which killed at least 44 people. Many of the incidents involved methods such as suicide bombings, the signature of Iraq's al Qaeda affiliate. Attacks on Shi'ites have killed dozens of people since Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government issued an arrest warrant for a Sunni vice president, triggering a political crisis that risks scuttling a power-sharing agreement. Violence had declined since the height of sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007, when thousands were killed in intercommunal strife. But the withdrawal of the last American troops in December has fanned worries of a resurgence. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Andrew Roche) http://www.alsumarianews.com/ar/iraq-security-news/-2-34537.html سقوط قتلى وجرحى بينهم نساء وأطفال بهجوم انتحاري غرب البصرة المحرر: SZ | GS السبت 14 ك2 2012 06:57 GMT السومرية نيوز/ البصرة أفاد مصدر في شرطة محافظة البصرة، السبت، بأن عدداً من المدنيين سقطوا بين قتيل وجريح بينهم نساء وأطفال بتفجير انتحاري بحزام ناسف غرب المحافظة. وقال المصدر في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "انتحارياً يرتدي حزاماً ناسفاً فجر نفسه، صباح اليوم، مستهدفاً مواطنين متوجهين إلى جامع الخطوة في حي الأمن الداخلي (8 كم غرب البصرة)، مما أسفر عن سقوط قتلى وجرحى بينهم نساء وأطفال لم يتم معرفة عددهم حتى الآن". وأضاف المصدر الذي طلب عدم الكشف عن اسمه، أن "سيارات الإسعاف هرعت إلى منطقة الحادث ونقلت الجرحى إلى مستشفى قريب لتلقي العلاج، وجثث القتلى إلى دائرة الطب العدلي، فيما فرضت قوة أمنية طوقاً على منطقة الحادث ومنعت الاقتراب منه". يذكر أن جامع الخطوة (المسجد الجامع) هو ثاني مسجد بني في الإسلام بعد المسجد النبوي في المدينة المنورة، كما أنه أول مسجد بناه المسلمون خارج الجزيرة العربية، ويقع بالقرب من موقع مدينة البصرة القديمة عند المدخل الشرقي لمركز قضاء الزبير، و قد صلى به الامام علي بن ابي طالب اثناء معركة الجمل في العام 36 للهجرة، ويكتسب الجامع أهمية دينية كبيرة عند المسلمين الشيعة بحيث جرت العادة أن يقصده في بعض المناسبات الدينية آلاف المواطنين من كافة مناطق المحافظة سيراً على الأقدام. ================ 64 killings, 137 wounded in Basrah explosion 1/14/2012 5:35 PM BASRA / Aswat al-Iraq : Security sources said here that the result of the suicide bomber reached today to 64 killings and 137 wounded, most of them were women and children. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that the explosion was targeted against the pilgrims who were visiting Al-Khatwa mosque, 18 km west of Basra. The pilgrims in Basra are divided into two groups, the first head for Kerbela, but the weaker ones walk to this mosque. Basra, center of the province, lies 590 km south of the capital, Baghdad. ==================== Jan. 14, 2012 4:26 AM ET Iraq: Bomb kills 30 Shiite pilgrims in south AIM Share Shiite faithful pilgrims gather at the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, for Arbaeen, which marks the end of the forty-day mourning period after the anniversary of the 7th century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, in Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) 1 of 4 More News Video Roadside bomb kills 2 in southern Afghanistan Jan. 14, 2012 3:58 AM ET Lebanese held as terror warning issued in Bangkok Jan. 13, 2012 1:23 PM ET Bomb kills Iranian nuclear expert Jan. 11, 2012 9:27 AM ET Iraq: Bombs kill 2 state workers, wound 3 boys Jan. 10, 2012 9:58 AM ET Philippine leader warns of possible terror attack Jan. 8, 2012 9:01 PM ET Advertisement Advertisement ZUBAIR, Iraq (AP) — A bomb killed at least 30 Shiite pilgrims near the southern port city of Basra on Saturday, Iraqi officials said. It was the latest in a series of attacks during Shiite religious commemorations that threaten to further increase sectarian tensions just weeks after the U.S. withdrawal. Basra hospitals have received 30 killed and 90 wounded after the blast, said Dr. Riyadh Abdul-Amir, the head of Basra Health Directorate. Witnesses said the attack occurred outside the town of Zubair, southwest of Basra, as pilgrims were making their way to a Shiite shrine nearby. A police official confirmed the death toll. He spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to release details to the media. The governor of Basra province's spokesman, Ayad al-Emarah, said it was not clear whether the blast was caused by a suicide attacker or a roadside bomb. Zubair is a predominantly Sunni enclave in Iraq's largely Shiite south. The explosion came as Shiites commemorate the climax of Arbaeen, which marks the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure. Majid Hussein, a government employee, was one of the pilgrims heading to the shrine. He said people began running away in panic when they heard a loud explosion. "I saw several dead bodies and wounded people, including children on the ground asking for help. There were also some baby strollers left at the blast site," he said. The attack, which bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents, is the latest in a series of deadly strikes in this year's Arbaeen. Scores of pilgrims have been killed. The largest of the Arbaeen attacks — a wave of apparently coordinated bombings in Baghdad and outside the southern city of Nasiriyah — killed at least 78 people on Jan. 5. It was the deadliest strike in Iraq in more than a year. The attacks raise fears of a new sectarian rift that could destabilize the country now that U.S. troops are gone. The last U.S. combat troops left Iraq on Dec. 18, ending a nearly nine-year war. Many Iraqis worry that a resurgence of Sunni and Shiite militancy could follow the Americans' withdrawal. In 2006, a Sunni attack on a Shiite shrine triggered a wave of sectarian violence that pushed the country to the brink of civil war. Just as the American troops were leaving, a political crisis erupted that has paralyzed Iraq's government. It pits the country's mostly ethnic- and religious-based political blocs against one another. Iraq's Sunni minority dominated the government under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, but since he was overthrown, Shiites have controlled most key posts. The political dispute appears far from being resolved. On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq called for Iraq's leader, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, to step down or face a parliamentary vote of no-confidence. Al-Mutlaq's Sunni-backed Iraqiya party has been boycotting parliament and Cabinet meetings since last month to protest what it sees as efforts by al-Maliki to consolidate power, particularly over state security forces. Al-Maliki's government, meanwhile, has demanded the arrest of the country's top Sunni politician, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi of Iraqiya, accusing him of running a hit squad targeting government officials. Al-Hashemi denies the allegations. ___ Associated Press writers Bushra Juhi, Sameer N. Yacoub and Adam Schreck contributed reporting ===================