Reply #6: Powerful Explosion Rocks Holy Shiite City of Kerbala

[ckramer]

A strong blast ripped through Karbala, a holy city located some 110 km south of Baghdad, on Sunday morning when many Shiite Muslims rallied in the city center for a religious commemoration, said reports reaching here from Karbala.
A loud explosion was heard near the Imam Hussein mosque. There is no immediate report on casualties.

The blast occurred when thousands of Shiite Muslims went to the mosque for an annual commemoration slated for Monday, when a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein came to an end.

Imam Hussein, one of the Islamic Prophet Mohammad's grandsons, was killed and buried in the city in 680 AD. Hussein's brother, Imam Abbas, was also buried in Karbala, which makes the city one of the holiest cities in Iraq.

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