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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12276453-23109,00.html
Crowd kills suspected bomber
From correspondents in Baghdad
February 17, 2005
From: Reuters
A CROWD of Shiite Muslims marking a religious ceremony spotted a suspected suicide bomber amongst them and, fearing he might blow himself up, beat the man to death, Iraqi police said today.
The incident occurred in the western Baghdad neighbourhood of Bayaa, a largely Shiite district, where residents were celebrating Ashura, a religious ritual honouring the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
The police said the crowd spied a man mingling amongst them who appeared to be wearing a vest strapped with explosives, like those used in suicide bombings.
"They attacked him and beat the man to death," a police source said, adding that security forces had been powerless to prevent the mass onslaught. It was not clear if the man had actually been planning a suicide attack.
Iraqi security are on high alert for suicide attacks during Ashura following a series of bombings last year in which more than 170 people were killed in Baghdad and Kerbala, a holy city south of Baghdad where Ashura is most intensely celebrated.
All roads in and around Kerbala have been shut down for the festival, and Iraq's borders will be shut for five days from February 17 to prevent pilgrims flooding into the country from abroad. Last year Ashura attracted hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Iran, Pakistan and further afield.
During Ashura, Shiites traditionally flail themselves with metal chains. At the climax of the festival, which falls on February 19 this year, some inflict cuts on their heads with long knives in a tradition that emulates the suffering of Hussein in 680 AD.
Crowd kills suspected bomber
From correspondents in Baghdad
February 17, 2005
From: Reuters
A CROWD of Shiite Muslims marking a religious ceremony spotted a suspected suicide bomber amongst them and, fearing he might blow himself up, beat the man to death, Iraqi police said today.
The incident occurred in the western Baghdad neighbourhood of Bayaa, a largely Shiite district, where residents were celebrating Ashura, a religious ritual honouring the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
The police said the crowd spied a man mingling amongst them who appeared to be wearing a vest strapped with explosives, like those used in suicide bombings.
"They attacked him and beat the man to death," a police source said, adding that security forces had been powerless to prevent the mass onslaught. It was not clear if the man had actually been planning a suicide attack.
Iraqi security are on high alert for suicide attacks during Ashura following a series of bombings last year in which more than 170 people were killed in Baghdad and Kerbala, a holy city south of Baghdad where Ashura is most intensely celebrated.
All roads in and around Kerbala have been shut down for the festival, and Iraq's borders will be shut for five days from February 17 to prevent pilgrims flooding into the country from abroad. Last year Ashura attracted hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Iran, Pakistan and further afield.
During Ashura, Shiites traditionally flail themselves with metal chains. At the climax of the festival, which falls on February 19 this year, some inflict cuts on their heads with long knives in a tradition that emulates the suffering of Hussein in 680 AD.
