At Least Seven Killed During Iraqi Shi'ite Pilgrimage

Police said they had clashed with gunmen near the Imam Abbas shrine, one of the holiest shrines for Shi'ite Muslims.

The clash followed an earlier outbreak of violence in Karbala late on August 27, in which at least three people died. Police are quoted as saying they opened fire on a large crowd of pilgrims infuriated by the strict security measures in force in Karbala to prevent sectarian attacks.

Shi'ite pilgrims have flocked to Karbala to attend ceremonies marking the birth of Muhammad al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shi'ite imam.

In a separate incident on August 27, at least nine people were reported killed in a suicide bomb attack after evening prayers at a mosque in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

Police said the victims included the mosque's imam, Abd al-Sattar al-Jumaili, who had been on an Al-Qaeda death list.

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org