The Islamic State on Thursday claimed a suicide truck bomb attack that killed more than 80 people, mostly Iranian Shia pilgrims, at a petrol station where buses returning from the Arbaeen commemoration in the Iraqi city of Karbala were parked. The blast occurred in Hilla city, 100 km south of the capital Baghdad and around 80 km from Karbala. The petrol station was almost completely destroyed and scores of cars were burned. Iranian nationals are the largest contingent of foreigners at the Arbaeen pilgrimage that ended on Monday. Five buses with pilgrims were torched by the blast from the explosives-laden truck, a police official said.

Source: Hindustan Times November 24, 2016 14:39 UTC