A truck bomb killed 19 worshippers south of Baghdad yesterday as pilgrims from around the world thronged Iraq’s shrine city of Karbala to finish commemorations for a revered figure in Shi’ite Islam.

The attack came despite a massive security operation mounted to safeguard the millions of Shi’ite Muslims travelling to and from Karbala for the conclusion of Arbaeen mourning rituals.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in a car park in the town of Musayyib, used mainly for vehicles transporting pilgrims, but Sunni militants often try to target Shi’ites during commemoration rituals in a bid to incite sectarian bloodshed.

The 5pm blast killed 19 people and wounded 47, a police officer and a doctor said, the second deadly attack in recent days in Musayyib, which lies about half way along the main route linking Baghdad and Karbala.

Seven people were killed in Musayyib on December 31, apparently because they were Shi’ites.

Among the dead in yesterday’s attack were five women and four children, the medic said, adding that the toll could rise because many of the wounded were badly hurt.

The police officer said the blast was caused by a truck packed with explosives.

In east Baghdad, meanwhile, a roadside bomb struck a minibus transporting Shi’itepilgrims yesterday evening, wounding at least six of them.

The threat of attack had spurred authorities to deploy 35,000 soldiers and police to Karbala, including 2,500 policewomen, in the run-up to and the climax of Arbaeen.

Huge crowds flooded the city’s streets as sad songs blared from loudspeakers and black flags flew alongside pictures of Imam Hussein and his half-brother Imam Abbas, revered figures in Shi’ite Islam, who are buried in Karbala.

Among the worshippers were around 750,000 from 30 different countries.