Suicide bomber hits Iran pilgrims in Iraq KUFA

A suicide car bomber blasted two coaches carrying Iranian pilgrims outside a Shi’ite Muslim shrine in Iraq at dawn yesterday, killing 12 people and wounding 41, police and health officials said.

The attack came a day after the US military warned that al Qaeda’s new leader in Iraq could order new car bombings after the killing of his predecessor Abu Musab al-Zarqawi a month ago. The bomber drove his car between the two Iranian coaches as they arrived at the Maithem al-Tamar shrine in Kufa, a religious centre on the outskirts of the main Shi’ite holy city of Najaf, 160 km south of Baghdad, police said.The burnt-out wrecks of the vehicles lay in the street.Three women in distinctive Iranian dress lay dead.Smoke rose from the charred remains of the bomber’s car.Police said several Iraqi children, who make a living wheeling invalid pilgrims in carts at the shrine, were also caught in the blast.Many sleep there, waiting for business.- Nampa-ReutersThe bomber drove his car between the two Iranian coaches as they arrived at the Maithem al-Tamar shrine in Kufa, a religious centre on the outskirts of the main Shi’ite holy city of Najaf, 160 km south of Baghdad, police said.The burnt-out wrecks of the vehicles lay in the street.Three women in distinctive Iranian dress lay dead.Smoke rose from the charred remains of the bomber’s car.Police said several Iraqi children, who make a living wheeling invalid pilgrims in carts at the shrine, were also caught in the blast.Many sleep there, waiting for business. – Nampa-Reuters