A suicide bomber blew himself by targeting Shia pilgrims in the Iraqi town of Iskandiriya south of Baghdad in whicht 40 people have been killed & dozens injured. The town is on the way to the Shia city of Karbala, which is hosting a religious festival. The bomb comes despite a recent lull following a US troop increase.

The bomber walked into a comfort station for pilgrims & then detonated a device. The bomber detonated his explosives among a crowd of pilgrims at a residential building in the town of Iskandiriyah while on their way to the holy shrine city of Karbala for a Shiite festival.