CHELSEA J. CARTER
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD - A suicide attacker detonated a car bomb Friday alongside a crowd of Shiite pilgrims walking to a holy city south of Baghdad, killing at least 27 people and wounding 60, Iraqi police officials said.
Shiite pilgrims have been targeted by several bombings in recent days, and Friday's attack struck during the culmination of a pilgrimage in which hundreds of thousands walked to the city of Karbala to mark a Shiite holy day.
The blast occurred shortly after noon just east of one of three main entrances to Karbala, a police official said. At least 60 were wounded in the explosion, he added.
Two mortar rounds hit the same area after the car bomb exploded, the official said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise.
The attack came at the height of the pilgrimage when the roads around Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad, were clogged with people trying to reach the city by Friday, another police official said.
All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
The Arbaeen holy day marks the end of 40 days of mourning after the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure.
The attack was just a short distance from where a motorcycle bomb exploded two days earlier, killing dozens. On Monday, a female suicide bomber killed at least 54 pilgrims in an attack just north of Baghdad.
Iraqi security forces have increased protection for pilgrims but face huge challenges trying to find a single attacker in the crowds.