“[T]he number of visitors who entered the country through land and air crossings reached… 2,210,070 visitors,” said Miqdad Miri, Iraq’s interior ministry spokesperson, during a press conference in Baghdad, adding that no security incidents have been recorded.
Millions of Shiite followers from around the world embark upon an annual journey to Karbala to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage in southern Iraq. Many of the religious tourists also visit sites in nearby Najaf.
Some 3.6 million people entered the country in the first week of the pilgrimage in 2023, Iraqi state media reported at the time, citing the interior ministry.
Miri described the security situation as "very good," saying that "what distinguishes this year’s Arbaeen visitations is the low number of traffic accidents."
From August 10 to August 18, he added, the total number of traffic accidents is 39, “resulting in nine deaths and 23 injuries.”
On Friday alone, there were more than 28,000 fines issued for driving violations, according to Miri.
Arbaeen is a significant religious observance for Shia Muslims, following the remembrance of Ashura, which marks the death of Imam Hussein and his companions.
