In Iraq, a suicide bomber set off an explosion at a gas station where pilgrims from Iran had gathered. 70 people died

An explosion near the Iraqi city of Hilla on November 24 killed at least 70 people, AFP reported, citing the head of the security committee of the province of Babil. Reuters, citing sources in the police and medical services, reports the death of more than 80 people.

Most of the dead were Shiite pilgrims from Iran, who were returning from the city of Karbala, where Arbain , a commemoration for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is held annually.

The explosion occurred at a gas station, where at that moment there were five buses with pilgrims. According to authorities, a truck loaded with explosives, driven by a suicide bomber, blew up.

The terrorist organization Islamic State claimed responsibility for the explosion, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors the activities of terrorists.

• In the north of Iraq, since mid-October, the operation to liberate Mosul from terrorists, the largest city in the country, which is under the control of ISIS, has been ongoing. Shiite militias are also taking part in the operation, which is led by the Iraqi army.
• Up to 20 million people took part in the Shiite Arbaeen ceremony this year, writes AFP. About three million people came from Iran.