Nine killed, dozens hurt in attacks on Shiite pilgrims

(7 Jul 2010) Baghdad's al-Jadida ''New Baghdad'' neighbourhood 1. Wide of the blast site with Iraqi soldier standing nearby 2. Various of damage to concrete pavement next to road 3. Close up of small crater caused by blast 4. Low ground shot of damage to road, Iraqi soldiers 5. Low ground shot of damage to road and Iraqi soldier holding gun Baghdad's Kazimiyah neighbourhood, location of holy shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim 6. Wide of street and security 7. Helicopter overhead 8. Tent at side of road providing food and rest to pilgrims 9. Men next to tent shaking sheet 10. Man pointing to shrapnel impact caused by mortars 11. Various of holes in tent caused by mortars 12. Wrecked roof of building 13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahdi Hussein, eyewitness: ''The terrorists targeted pilgrims heading to the holy shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim. Those pilgrims are innocent people. God willing, those terrorists will be eliminated.'' 14. Pilgrims on street heading to the holy shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim 15. Wide of pilgrims walking Central Baghdad 16. Miniature of holy shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim behind replica of ship 17. Wide shot, troops manning checkpoint and pilgrims passing through 18. Various, troops searching pilgrims as they pass 19. Female pilgrims entering tent to be searched 20. Back view of pilgrims walking past tents 21. Pilgrim in the street STORYLINE: Nine Shiite Muslims taking part in a religious pilgrimage were killed and dozens were wounded in insurgent mortar attacks and roadside bomb explosions across Baghdad, Iraqi police officials have said. The attacks on Tuesday took place in at least six locations around the capital as devout Shiites converged on a mosque in the Kazimiyah neighbourhood to commemorate the July 7 anniversary of the death of the seventh imam. Five pilgrims were killed in two separate mortar attacks, and four died when a roadside bomb detonated, police officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to reporters. One of the mortar attacks took place at Baghdad's al-Jadida ''New Baghdad'' neighbourhood, killing two people. Two mortars fell late on Tuesday on a tent used by Shiite pilgrims to take rest and food in the outskirts of Kazimiyah district where the holy Shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim is located, killing three devotees and wounding eight others. Dozens of people were wounded in attacks around the city, police said. Hundreds of thousands of Shiites from around Iraq have turned out in Baghdad for ceremonies marking the eighth-century death of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim. Pilgrims traditionally walk to the twin-domed shrine in Kazimiyah, where the revered saint is buried. Huge religious processions of Iraq's majority Shiite sect have often been targeted by suspected Sunni insurgents in the past years of sectarian bloodshed that had the nation teetering on the brink of civil war from 2005 to 2007. An Iraqi military spokesman told the Associated Press earlier on Tuesday that security forces were on high alert in the capital, and a vehicle ban was in place across Kazimiyah. The spokesman said pilgrims are searched for weapons at various points leading to the shrine, and security forces have been deployed along the way. In 2005, more than 900 people died in a stampede which appeared to have been sparked by a rumour that a suicide bomber was among the more than 1 million (m) people who had gathered at the Kazimiyah shrine to mark the date of the imam's death. The pilgrimage is not the most important among Shiite ceremonies, but is considered significant. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...