More Than 40 Shiite Pilgrims Killed

The streets of the Iraqi city of Karbala are already choked with Shiite pilgrims gathered for a religious observance. But dozens of others who were headed there by foot never made it.

They were killed at the hands of a suicide bomber who attacked today as the pilgrims took a break from their trek at a tent offering food and drink.

The U.S. military says at least 40 people were killed and 60 were wounded.

A local official says the attack "devastated the entire tent."

Iraqi police and U.S. troops quickly responded to the attack, which occurred on a two-lane highway outside a residential area south of Baghdad.

The U.S. military says about 42,000 pilgrims had previously traveled through the area without incident.

The attack in Iskandariyah was the second of the day against pilgrims traveling to the holy city of Karbala.

Earlier, extremists attacked another group of pilgrims in the predominantly Sunni Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, killing three and wounding 36, police said. Officers describing the attacks spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release information.

Also today, extremists targeted U.S. patrols in two separate attacks in northern Baghdad. The military says a soldier was killed in one of the attacks.

The pilgrims were taking part in a walk that lasts for days, taking them
to a shrine south of Baghdad for to mark Arbaeen, the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, one of two revered Shiite figures buried there.

Police Chief Raid Shakir Jawdat has said 40,000 police officers and military troops are being deployed during this period, since Shiite holidays have frequently been targeted by suspected Sunni insurgents. For example, a parked car loaded with explosives was discovered and put out of action near Karbala, one of several potential attacks that have already been averted, Jawdat said Sunday.

Four million pilgrims were already in the city as of a couple of days ago, he said.

The attacks occurred on a day when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki flew to London for a second round of medical tests, a top aide said. The trip comes about two months after his previous one.

Following that journey, officials said the prime minister had traveled to Britain after falling ill, but no problems were discovered in his check up. Al-Maliki's adviser Yassin Majeed said Sunday that al-Maliki was in good health and that the tests this time are merely to confirm the previous results.

An explosion also struck a minibus carrying electricity department workers in the northwestern city of Mosul on Sunday, killing two and wounding three, police said.

In Hawija, about 30 miles southwest of Kirkuk, a parked car bomb went off Sunday morning next to a patrol of Sunni tribesmen who aligned with U.S. forces to fight al Qaeda in Iraq, police said. One civilian bystander was killed and 10 people were wounded, including seven tribesmen, police Brig. Sarhad Qadir said.

The violence occurred a day after extremists fired an explosive barrage into Baghdad's heavily protected Green Zone, targeting the heart of America's diplomatic and military mission in Iraq. The U.S. military said there were no injuries.

Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. military spokesman, said Sunday that the military was not certain precisely who was responsible for the rocket volley "but we suspect it was rogue criminal militia groups," referring to Shiite groups that the Americans say are backed by Iran. Tehran denies the allegations.

Police released new details about a suicide bomb attack Saturday that killed the leader of one Awakening Council in Saqlawiyah, a town in Anbar province 45 miles west of Baghdad. A group of gunmen first opened fire on a checkpoint, killing one police officer. Then three of the attackers armed with explosives belts stormed the checkpoint, two blowing themselves up and killing Sheik Ibrahim Mutayri al-Mohamaday. The other was killed.

Police said the two attackers were brothers from the area, and an Associated Press photographer on the scene said that their remains were identified by their father.