A number of explosions have hit the Iraqi cities of Karbala and Baghdad in what appears to be coordinated attacks on one of Shia Muslims' holiest days

 

Photo: Shias were marking the festival of Ashura with ritual blood-letting in Karbala on Tuesday...

 

EXPLOSIONS ARE EVERYWHERE...

 

 

The blasts could be seen far across the city

At least 30 people have been killed in Karbala and many hundreds wounded, and as many as 75 killed in Baghdad. BBC correspondents in Karbala said there were scenes of panic with victims being carried on makeshift stretchers and women trying to get children away. Security had been tight for fear the festival of Ashura would be targeted. This was the first time in decades that Iraq's majority Shia community had been able to freely observe the holy day. More than a million people had flocked to Karbala - 80km (50 miles) south of Baghdad - to commemorate the death of Imam Hussein in 680. Many pilgrims also gathered at the main Shia Kadhimiya shrine in Baghdad to mark the climax of the major religious festival.

Photo: hias had been marking the climax of their holiest festival Ashura