Iraq: At least 53 killed and scores injured in spate of attacks against shiite pilgrims
Bombings and shootings targeting Shiite Muslim pilgrims in Baghdad and police across Iraq killed at least 53 people on Wednesday in apparently coordinated attacks during a major religious festival.
The attacks are the deadliest to hit Iraq since 50 people were killed in Baghdad on March 20.
Violence in Iraq has eased since the height of the war, but Islamist insurgents tied to al-Qaeda are still potent, often targeting Shiite pilgrims to try to reignite the sectarian tensions that drove Iraq close to civil war in 2006-2007.
In Wednesday’s attacks, at least 18 people were killed when four bombs hit pilgrims across Baghdad as they gathered to mark the anniversary of the death of Shiite imam Moussa al-Kadhim, a great-grandson of Prophet Mohammed.
