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Snipers kill 16 pilgrims in Baghdad
Snipers fired on a major Shiite religious procession in Baghdad Sunday, killing at least 16 pilgrims and injuring 230, officials said. Four suspected gunmen were shot dead by police.The attacks occurred from rooftops along several points of the procession toward the shrine of Imam Moussa Kadhim in north Baghdad. They occurred in three predominantly Sunni districts Fadhil, Haifa and Saligh Health Ministry spokesman Qassim Allawi told The Associated Press. Security forces killed two snipers in Fadhil and two suspected insurgents who tried to mingle with the crowed in the mixed neighborhood of Zafraniyah, police said. In one neighborhood, security forces and Shiite militias were seen exchanging gunfire with unseen assailants. Gunfire echoed in the streets as people ran for cover. The government had deployed thousands of troops and banned private vehicles from the streets to prevent attacks during the two-day commemoration marking the death in 799 of Imam Moussa ibn Jaafar al-Kadhim, one of 12 Shiite saints. Tens of thousands of Shiites participated in the religious procession Sunday, chanting Islamic slogans and wearing white shrouds to symbolize their willingness to die for Islam. "We heed your call, Oh Imam!" the pilgrims sang, beating their chest and flagellating themselves with steel chains in a traditional Shiite expression of grief. A security cordon was thrown around golden-domed shrine where the imam is buried, and all pilgrims were frisked before entering. Troops posted on rooftops closely watched the devout who waved the green flag of Islam and banners of their tribes in vibrant colors. Posted by: ed 2006-08-20 |
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