Iraq pilgrims killed by bomb blasts

At least six people have been killed today by a series of bomb blasts targeting Shiite pilgrims in Iraq, hospital officials said.

Three explosions hit the road to Kufa, south of Baghdad, one of the main routes to the southern holy city of Najaf.

Radwan al-Kindi, director of the Najaf medical centre, said the victims were pilgrims walking to the city. He added that more than 40 people were wounded.

It is not immediately clear what type of bombs were used or how they were detonated.

The attack is the latest in a string of bombings that have killed or wounded hundreds of pilgrims in Iraq in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, a joint raid by US and Iraqi security forces on suspected weapons smugglers in a village near the Iranian border left at least five people dead, the US military and Iraqi officials said.

There were conflicting reports after the clash between US-backed Iraqi forces and gunmen in Ali al-Sharqi, a village north of Amarra, 200 miles south east of Baghdad.

The US military said suspected Iranian-backed Kateb Hezbollah fighters opened fire on Iraqi security forces during the raid, and five militants were killed in the ensuing gun battle.

But Maytham Lafta, a Maysan provincial councillor, said at least 10 civilians were killed – including two women – and five others were wounded. He identified the dead as “all innocent people”.

Iraqi security forces have been under heavy scrutiny after a string of embarrassing security lapses in recent months that have raised questions about their ability to take over as US combat troops pull out.

With the American withdrawal less than seven months away, political disarray is threatening Iraq’s future.

A parliamentary logjam is holding up legislation touching everything from prison staff, border crossings and counter-terrorism troops to an archaeological excavation – the 5,000-year-old ruins of Ur – which is in dire need of tourists.

The January election that was supposed to clear the way forward has been delayed to March 7 amid factional infighting, and even the official start of the election campaign today came after a delay of more than a week as Shiites and Sunnis bickered over who was eligible to run.