By John Lee. The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has announed two new clinics in Iraq to provide medical services to Iranian pilgrims visiting the country's Shiite holy shrines, a medical official announced on Sunday. Iran's FARS News Agency reports that the hospital in Karbala, specialising in ophthalmology and eye diseases, will be completed in the […]
By John Lee. Azzaman reports that more than 2.5 million tourists visited Iraq in 2012, most of them on pilgrimage to the country’s holy shrines. Data issued by the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism show that Iraq has become a top destination for Muslim, mainly Shiite, tourist. The numbers are reportedly the largest since the country […]
Iraq’s holy city of Karbala is hosting a religious ritual described as one of the largest in the country, reports Iran's PressTV, which says that more than nine million Shias from Iraq and other countries have poured into the city to commemorate Arbaeen. Arbaeen marks the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein […]
AKnews reports that over 16 million pilgrims flocked to Karbala to mark Arbain, the 40th day after Ashura, which is the day Shiite's believe Imam Hussein Ibn Ali was martyred in the 7th century. The deputy leader of the Karbala Provincial Council Nassif, Jassem al-Khutabi, told AKnews that over half a million come from abroad, […]
Levels of violence rose in Iraq over the past week. Conditions are still quieter than July and June but they have been gradually worsening over the course of September. Last week saw a series of brutal attacks, mainly in the central region, affecting Baghdad and the provinces of Anbar and Babil. Mosul in the north […]
Levels of violence fell slightly in Iraq last week, but there were still over 60 separate incidents recorded. Given a slight decline in the number of attacks recorded since July AKE has lowered the security risk rating for the country on Global IntAKE. Violence remains concentrated in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk although attacks were […]
Overview Levels of violence have been rising in Iraq over the past four weeks. The increase has been gradual, but consistent and last week saw more than 40 attacks reported countrywide for the first time since mid-December. Recent days have seen a particularly concerning rise in militant activity and social tensions in the northern city […]
Overview Levels of violence fell last week, but the past 48 hours have seen three suicide attacks in the central provinces, killing dozens and injuring over 200. As with the recent spate in assassinations in the centre of the country, the main target of the suicide bombers were state employees and members of the Iraqi […]
