Millions of Shia pilgrims took part in the Arbaeen ceremonies in Karbala, Iraq, despite threats from extremists in the region.
Many of the pilgrims reached the destination after walking for 80 kilometres from Najaf to Karbala.
AFP reports that according to Iraq’s defence minister, Arbaeen attracted 17 million pilgrims this year, with more than four million coming to Iraq from among 50 different countries.
The majority of Iraq’s population is Shia, and most of the pilgrims who journeyed to Karabal for Arbaeen were from different parts of Iraq itself. Iranians made up the largest group of pilgrims who travelled to Karbala from outside Iraq .
On Thursday night, one person was killed as a result of an explosion in Karbala, and IRNA reports that several explosions occurred in the city and its suburbs.
