Karbala (Iraq): At least 20 people were killed and 75 injured on Friday in two blasts targeting Shias in the southern Iraqi city of Karbala, a private news channel reported.
Pilgrims are visiting the shrine of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, to celebrate the 40th day after Ashura, the holy day that marks Hussein's death in the Battle of Karbala in the year 680.
More than 30,000 military and police officers have been deployed on the roads leading to Karbala to try to beef up security.
Security authorities cooperated with US army air support to protect visitors in the holy Shia city, which lies some 110 km southwest of Baghdad.
Official statistics indicated that more than eight million visitors have arrived in the city to attend the annual ritual.
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