AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The holy shrine of Imam Hussain (a.s.) announced the successful holding of the Arbaeen ceremony and emphasized the continuation of services to pilgrims until the departure of the last pilgrim.
On the other hand, Nasif al-Khattabi, the Governor of Karbala, announced, "More than 22 million pilgrims participated in the Arbaeen pilgrimage, of whom five million were foreign pilgrims."
Praising the role of Prime Minister Ali al-Zidi in following up on the Arbaeen pilgrimage plan, he announced, "2,400 foreign processions participated in the ceremony."
Meanwhile, Omar al-Waeli, the head of Iraq's Border Crossings Authority, announced on Tuesday that the process of pilgrims returning from the Arbaeen ceremony of Imam Hussain (a.s.) is witnessing a significant increase.
He added, "The staff of the Border Crossings Authority, in coordination with support departments, continue to finalize the travel procedures for returning pilgrims, which is witnessing a significant increase in the number of pilgrims leaving Iraq, until the last pilgrim departs."
He added, "The Zarbatiyah border crossing recorded the highest rate of entry and exit of pilgrims, with approximately 60 percent of all pilgrims who entered and left Iraq passing through this crossing."
Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi organization also on Tuesday announced the details of its successful security, service, and cultural plan to secure and facilitate the movement of millions of pilgrims during the Arbaeen pilgrimage, and reported the participation of more than 70 military battalions and more than 24,000 personnel along the pilgrimage routes and border crossings.
Yasser al-Isawi, the Deputy Head of the Hashd al-Shaabi General Command, said in a press conference, "Hashd al-Shaabi units participated in securing the land and air border crossings (Shalamcheh, Sheeb, Zarbatiyah, Mandali, Al-Munthiriyah, and Safwan) to provide facilities and services to the millions of pilgrims who entered Iraq from abroad."
He added, "The plan included securing the western borders toward the holy city of Karbala using drones, in close coordination with the army, police, and internal security forces, under the supervision of the Supreme Committee for the Arbaeen Ceremony."
Al-Isawi reported on the successful and smooth process of the plan for the return of pilgrims to their areas and border crossings, without any traffic disruptions.
On the other hand, Ali al-Hamdani, the commander of the Middle Euphrates Operations of Hashd al-Shaabi forces, reviewed the figures and statistics for his area of responsibility, and mentioned the establishment of three command centers in Diwaniyah, Najaf, and Babylon for coordination with the police and provincial leaders.
He stated, "The total number of forces participating in the Middle Euphrates sector reached 24,454 personnel. In addition, 1,863 various vehicles (ambulances, water tankers, and transport vehicles) were used, and 530 medical, security, and communication teams were deployed to secure a regional area of 40,669 kilometers from the border to the holy city of Karbala."
In the technical field, he mentioned the use of 3,424 pieces of technical equipment, including thermal cameras, tactical aircraft, radars, and jamming devices, to secure key locations and access points.
Regarding cultural and service activities, al-Hamdani mentioned the deployment of 206 missionaries, the opening of 12 guidance centers and 11 Quranic schools, the holding of 3,395 Hussaini ceremonies and 206 food distribution processions, the provision of millions of free calls through the service hotline (128), and the deployment of more than 1,000 water and ice tankers to support the processions and pilgrims.
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