Suicide attack thwarted as Iraqi Shiites celebrate Ashura
While the history of al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Islamic State continue to haunt Iraq, the start of the annual Shiite religious mourning celebration was largely uneventful — though Diyala province remains problematic.
BAGHDAD — Concerns about possible attacks during the Shiite Muslim Ashura religious celebrations that began this week led to heightened security and concerns across both much of the Middle East and Afghanistan.
In the Iraqi capital, there were no reported attacks. In the Diyala province along the Iranian border, however, a suicide bomber who had been planning on attacking the Shiite celebrations reportedly blew himself up after being surrounded by security forces there.
The attacker, who was wearing an explosive belt, had reportedly been approaching a military headquarters when he was surrounded.
Diyala has a mixed Shiite and Sunni population and a history wrought with extremist and sectarian violence. It has suffered multiple attacks claimed by the Islamic State (IS) in recent months and has for years been one of the most concerning areas in the country in terms of IS incidents.
