Terrorist attack targeting Arbaeen pilgrims foiled in Baghdad

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): An Iraqi military spokesman said a terrorist attack planned to target Arbaeen pilgrims has been foiled in Baghdad.

Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul said in a statement on Friday that two terrorist elements had planned to carry out the attack but were arrested in an area north of Baghdad by the Iraqi anti-terrorism service, al-Sumaria News reported.

Elsewhere in Iraq, security forces have closed streets leading to Bain-ul-Haramain (the area between the two holy shrines) in the holy city of Karbala to ensure the security of the pilgrims.

Arbaeen, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).

Each year, a huge crowd of Shias flock to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.

Earlier this year, Baghdad had said it would bar all foreign pilgrims from visiting Iraq for Arbaeen due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

But on Wednesday, Iraq’s government said it will allow each country to send at most 1,500 pilgrims to the Arab country to take part in the Arbaeen processions.

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