BAGHDAD, April 12 -- Millions of Shiite pilgrims on Thursday ended their week-long pilgrimage to a holy shrine in the Iraqi capital Baghdad to mark a major ritual amid tightened security measures.
During the past few days, more than 5.6 million Shiite pilgrims visited the shrine of the seventh of the most revered 12 Shiite Imams, Jamal Abdul-Rasoul, an official from the mausoleum, told a press conference after the end of the ritual.
The pilgrims marched on foot or by bus from places across Iraq and abroad to commemorate the death of Imam Musa al-Kadhim at his golden-tomb mausoleum in the center of the old part of the holy Shiite Kadhimiya district in northern Baghdad.
Dozens of tents were set up on the streets leading to the shrine to serve water, food and medication to the pilgrims.
People clad in black and accompanied by drummers were marching in lines in honor of Imam Musa al-Kadhim who was believed to be poisoned to death while in prison in A.D. 799 during the Abbasid era.
The Shiite ritual was held under tightened security measures as thousands of Iraqi soldiers, federal police and other security forces totally blocked Kadhimiya district for several days and deployed on the main routes that were assigned for the pilgrims outside and inside Baghdad.
The troops, backed by helicopter gunships, manned dozens of checkpoints and patrolled the pilgrims routes across Baghdad.
"Baghdad was secured before and during the ritual against any plan by the terrorists, and we have thwarted malicious rumors that sought to disturb the visit (of the mausoleum)," General Jalil al-Rubaie, Commander of Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) told the press conference.
Rubaie said that the security forces on Wednesday thwarted an attack against the pilgrims by two suicide bombers.
On Wednesday, a statement by BOC said that the security forces acted on intelligence reports and ambushed two militants wearing explosive belts in Tarmiyah area, some 40 km north of Baghdad, leaving one of the suicide bombers killed and forcing the other to detonate his explosive belt after wounding him.
The two suicide bombers were attempting to attack Shiite pilgrims who were walking in large numbers on the main road in north of Baghdad to the holy Kadhimiya shrine, according to the statement.
Extremist insurgent groups, including Islamic State (IS), frequently attacked Shiite pilgrims who perform communal rituals in Iraqi cities, killing and wounding hundreds of them in the past years in attempts to provoke sectarian strife in the violence-shattered country.
国内英语资讯:China hits back at Canadian accusation over drug smugglers death sentence
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Turkey-U.S. cooperation expected to continue despite strained ties
国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Lackluster Detroit auto show scrambles to attract attendance
国际英语资讯:Final word on Brexit plan to go to PM as most crucial vote in a generation nears
特朗普:边境需建墙阻挡洪都拉斯“移民大军”
国际英语资讯:U.S. govt shutdown enters 22nd day, breaking record
苹果耳机可以偷听另一个房间的对话?怎么回事
拥有这8个特点的人都很有魅力
体坛英语资讯:NBA to play first-ever games in India
国内英语资讯:Chinese commerce minister vows continued efforts to attract foreign investment
国际英语资讯:Kenyan president says terror attack over, 14 killed
一天运动多久算健康?可能比你想的短
国内英语资讯:Chinese premier urges efforts to keep growth within reasonable range
国内英语资讯:China Focus: China, Finland vow to write new chapter in bilateral ties
你是不是认为精油对皮肤完全无害?
卡戴珊做了一口钻石牙?贫穷限制了我的想象力...
国际英语资讯:Greek govt wins confidence vote, ahead of crucial vote on Macedonia name deal
奶牛印花成2019最新潮流?贝嫂和梅根都穿上了
国内英语资讯:China Focus: Xiongan New Area construction to gain momentum
奥斯卡没有主持人?听说主办方请了“复联”英雄们来救场
人生的四季各有滋味
国内英语资讯:Chinese mainland spokesperson stresses essence of 1992 Consensus
国际英语资讯:U.S. top diplomat seeks Arab coalition force to face threats
体坛英语资讯:Germanys Wandres beats Olympic champion Dujardin in Dressage World Cup
国际英语资讯:UK galleries to celebrate work of Leonardo da Vinci with 12 exhibitions
新研究发现:肚子越大,脑子越小
“全球最聪明国家与地区榜”发布 中国位列第三
国内英语资讯:Senior CPC official meets Afghan presidents national security adviser
想成为烹饪达人?一定要避开这些误区
美国司法部长被提名人:将保护涉俄调查不受政治干预
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |