In Iraq, 41 people were killed and more than 144 injured in two car bomb blasts in Karbala on Friday. According to Voice of Iraq news agency, the attacks were carried out on a crowd as the pilgrims headed home from the shrine city, south of Baghdad, where more than a million devotees had gathered to mark the festival of Arbaeen.<br/><br/>These incidents occurred despite the deployment of around 30 thousand troops and police to protect pilgrims. Baghdad's security spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi said in a statement that terrorist groups are gathering together all their capabilities to launch attacks during Arbaeen and after it.