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Gunmen ambush Shia pilgrims; 17 killed

Violence despite the presence of thousands of troops

BAGHDAD: Snipers firing from rooftops and a cemetery killed at least 17 pilgrims on Sunday in a series of attacks on a Shia religious procession in Baghdad attended by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, officials said. They said four gunmen were also killed and at least 253 people injured, most of them slightly when they fell while fleeing the gunfire.

The ``terrorist assaults'' took place when the pilgrims were walking through Sunni areas on their way to the shrine of Imam Moussa Kadhim, an 8th century saint, Health Ministry spokesman Qassim Allawi said.

In one neighbourhood, security forces and Shia militiamen were seen exchanging gunfire with unseen assailants who were firing from houses and buildings. Some of the attackers were firing from behind tombstones in a Sunni cemetery.

The violence was not unexpected given the cycle of tit-for-tat attacks by Shias and Sunnis in Iraq since the bombing of a Shia mosque on February 22. The sectarian warfare, along with the equally deadly Sunni Arab militancy, has become the biggest challenge for the unity national Government and its ally, the United States.

Civil war fears

Many fear that the bloodshed, which is claiming about 100 lives a day, could lead to an all-out civil war. Interior Ministry spokesman Col. Saddoun Abu al-Ula said 17 pilgrims were killed and 253 injured during the attacks. Only a few of the injured sustained gunshot wounds while the rest suffered injuries in falls while running in panic. Scores of militants were arrested, including some of those who fired on the pilgrims and others who were planning to.

Police said four militants including two snipers were killed.

Reporters saw women in black ``abaya,'' the Islamic female gown, helping one another as they ran for cover. Many took refuge under an overpass, ducking in fear at the sound of gunshots. A cleric in a dark grey gown and white turban, holding a gun, was seen being pushed away from the scene by security personnel. — AP

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