Tens of thousands of pilgrims arrived in the Iraqi city of Karbala today ahead of tomorrow's Ashura holiday, the holy day when Shiite Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
Ashura has deep religious and historical significance for Shiites. It commemorates the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, in which Imam Hussein, along with his family and followers, was killed after refusing to swear allegiance to the Umayyad Caliph, cementing the schism between Sunni and Shiite Islam.
Sunday's gathering comes at a time of heightened regional tensions following Israel's recent war with Iran and other dramatic events such as the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Iran, and the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of the Lebanese Shiite militant organization Hezbollah.
On the streets of Karbala, there are countless stands with food and water for pilgrims arriving from Iraqi provinces and from Iran, the Persian Gulf countries, Lebanon and Pakistan.
Although it is a religious event, some participants chanted against Israel and the US, and banners bore messages of support for the "Axis of Resistance" - a group of factions and governments backed by Iran.
Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shamari met in Karbala today with security and intelligence officers and representatives of a coalition of mostly Shiite militias that are officially under the command of the Iraqi army.
The Interior Ministry said they discussed tightening controls at the city's entrances and strengthening intelligence and field operations to protect the huge crowd of worshippers.
Members of the Islamic State and other groups that follow an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam, viewing Shiites as apostates from true Islam, have for years attacked them during Ashura in Iraq and other countries in the region.
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