Karbala

Iraqis denounce anti-indecency edict in Shiite holy city

Karbala - Muslimchronicle

Residents in Iraq's Shiite holy city of Karbala have denounced a local decision that could soon see salesmen in trouble for displaying female mannequins in anything but Islamic clothing. Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and an important figure in Shiite Islam, is buried in Karbala. Posters warning against indecent behaviour have been plastered around the city as part ofRead more

Top Shiite cleric opposes disbanding of Iraq's Hashed militia

Karbala - Muslimchronicle

Iraq’s most revered Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Friday opposed calls to disband a controversial paramilitary force which was instrumental in defeating the Islamic State group in the country. Iraq is “always in desperate need of heroic men who have backed up the army and federal police and who fought alongside them on different fronts”, said Abdel Mahdi al-Karabalai,Read more

Millions mark key Shiite commemoration in Iraq holy city

Karbala - Muslimchronicle

An estimated 14 million Shiite pilgrims thronged Iraq's holy city of Karbala on Friday to mark the annual Arbaeen commemoration, as Baghdad looks to wipe out the Islamic State group that has targeted their branch of Islam. Arbaeen is one of the biggest religious festivals on earth and marks the end of the 40-day mourning period for the 7th-century killingRead more

Shiite pilgrims throng Iraq's Karbala

Karbala - Muslimchronicle

Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslim pilgrims gathered in the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala on Sunday for ceremonies marking the seventh-century killing of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson. Some 25,000 members of the security forces were deployed to protect the pilgrims, who in the past have faced attacks from Sunni extremists including the Islamic State group. This year's ceremonies wereRead more

Iraqis say they foiled Daesh plan to attack revered shrines

Baghdad - Muslimchronicle

Iraqi intelligence officials said Sunday they foiled an attempt by the Daesh group to attack revered Shiite shrines and the sect’s spiritual leader. The Daesh plan was to launch a series of suicide attacks in Karbala and Najaf that house the shrines as well as the home of Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, two officers told The Associated Press. The simultaneousRead more

Iraqi tribe vows retribution after leader brutally killed in Iran

Karbala - Muslimchronicle

Iraqi governorates of Karbala and Najaf are witnessing a security alert after news circulated about the brutal way in which Sheikh Nema Hadi al-Issawi, a leader of one of the largest tribes in Karbala, was killed during his visit to the Iranian city of Mashhad about three months ago as his tribe threatened to target the Iranian interests in theRead more

Daesh truck bomb in Iraq sows carnage

Hilla - Arab Today

A suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 70 people, mainly Shiite pilgrims, south of Baghdad, as Iraqi forces battle to retake Mosul from the jihadists. The huge truck bomb blast ripped through a petrol station where packed buses returning from the Arbaeen commemoration in Karbala were parked, officials said. Most of the dead were Iranians,Read more

Millions throng Iraq shrine

Karbala - Arab Today

Millions of black-clad Shiite Muslims, crying and beating their chests in mourning, streamed through a shrine in the Iraqi city of Karbala Monday under heavy protection from the security forces. The processions of faithful walking to Imam Hussein's mausoleum from all over Iraq have been routinely targeted by bombings over the years, but this time the Arbaeen commemoration saw veryRead more

Millions throng Iraq shrine amid huge security deployment

Karbala - Arab Today

Millions of Shiite Muslim pilgrims beating their chests in mourning thronged the Iraqi city of Karbala Sunday under the protection of thousands of members of the security forces. The Arbaeen pilgrimage is one of the world's largest religious events and is seen as a major potential target for suicide bombers from the Islamic State jihadist group. The commemoration of ImamRead more

12 Killed and Wounded in Suicide Bombing West of Karbala

Baghdad - Arab Today

Six people were killed and six others were wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a house at Ain Tamr, west of Karbala, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said Monday. "Six suicide bombers had sneaked into al-Jihad district at Ain Tamr precinct, west of Karbala. Security forces engaged with and killed five of them," said a spokesperson for theRead more