1000 More Iranian Buses to Transfer Pilgrims inside Iraq
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran plans to dispatch an extra 1,000 buses to neighboring Iraq for transferring the Iranian pilgrims from the Arab country after the mourning rituals on the occasion of Arbaeen, the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam.
Head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Saeed Ohadi told Tasnim on Saturday that the country’s Interior Ministry decided to deploy the extra convoy of buses to facilitate the transportation of pilgrims returning home from Iraq’s holy cities of Karbala and Najaf.
He said the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization had already leased 500 buses to provide services to the Iranian pilgrims, apart from another 270 buses prepared by Tehran Municipality.
Ohadi said these buses will enter Iraq after the coordination between the Iranian interior and foreign ministries with the Iraqi government.
Around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Karbala to attend the mourning ceremonies marking Arbaeen, the 40th day after the anniversary of martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located.
More than 1.2 million pilgrims flocked to Iraq this year from Iran alone to perform the mourning rituals.