BAGHDAD — A string of attacks Saturday against Shiite pilgrims in eastern Baghdad killed five, the latest round of violence to strike worshipers during a revered mourning observance.
Insurgents have targeted Shiite pilgrims, killing dozens and wounding more than 100 this week in an attempt to re-ignite sectarian violence.
The attacks began Saturday morning when a bomb was planted near a tent that offered drinks and food to pilgrims, a police official said. The blast killed three and injured 16, he said. A medical official confirmed the casualties.
Hours later, a bomb exploded near a line of minibuses parked in eastern Baghdad that were carrying pilgrims to the holy city of Karbala, killing two people and injuring seven, said police and medical officials.
Hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims are making their way to the southern city of Karbala for Ashoura. The 10-day mourning period culminates today, marking the anniversary of the 7th-century death in battle of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Imam Hussein.
