Updated on
Summary
A bomb planted on a parked motorcycle ripped through a crowd of Shiite pilgrims Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and wounding more than 116 just days after authorities promised tighter security to combat a string of attacks on the huge religious procession. The blast on the outskirts of the holy city of Karbala was the second major scene of bloodshed this week as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make their way to an important annual Shiite religious observance. It raised fears of a spike in attacks by suspected Sunni insurgents when the pilgrimage culminates Friday. The bomb exploded at about 11am in an area known as Ibrahimia near the east entrance one of three into Karbala, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad.
