Dozens Killed and Injured in Suicide Attack on Iranian Pilgrims in Iraq

At least 80 people have been killed in a suicide truck bomb explosion at a gas station on the road between Karbala and Baghdad, as Iranian pilgrims were returning from Arbaeen ceremonies, many of whom are Iranian. In recent hours, the statistics provided by Iranian officials regarding the number of pilgrims killed in this explosion have increased. Initially, Iranian officials reported about 20 Iranian deaths, but the Al-Alam network, affiliated with state media, announced that 60 Iranian pilgrims have been killed so far, and due to the high number of injured, this figure may rise. According to reports, at least six buses carrying Iranian, Bahraini, and Iraqi pilgrims that were at the gas station during the explosion were completely burned. Meanwhile, Pirhossein Kolivand, head of the Arbaeen Health and Treatment Committee, announced that 100 people have been killed in this explosion, and the number of Iranian pilgrims killed may exceed 60. Hassan Qashqavi, the Deputy Consular Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, also reported that out of the 80 individuals killed in this explosion, 40 are Iranian. Additionally, according to Ali Asghar Ahmadi, Secretary-General of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, 30 Iranians were injured in this incident, with five hospitalized in the city of Shomali and 25 others in the city of Hilla. The Iranian consul stated in an interview with the news network that identifying the burned bodies of the Iranian bus victims is difficult. He also mentioned that the injured have been transferred to hospitals in Hilla. According to Reuters, the group known as the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for this attack. The French news agency reported that the explosion occurred at a gas station where seven buses carrying pilgrims returning from Arbaeen had stopped. Furthermore, the Iranian state media reported that this explosion took place at the Al-Shomali intersection, 20 kilometers south of Baghdad and 80 kilometers from Karbala, which is the main route for Iranian pilgrims returning from the cities of Karbala and Najaf towards the Mehran border. On November 7, another explosion in Samarra, Iraq, killed eight Iranians and injured nearly 100 others. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for the Samarra explosion. In recent years, many Iranians have traveled to Karbala to participate in mourning ceremonies during Muharram and Safar, especially during Arbaeen, and visiting Shiite holy sites in other cities such as Samarra, Kazimayn, and Najaf is also part of the Iranian pilgrims' itinerary in Iraq. This ceremony has recently seen millions of Shiite pilgrims from various countries, and officials say about two million Iranians traveled to Iraq for this year's Arbaeen.