HOLY KAZEMIYAH, Iraq: Dead bodies of martyrs of Kazemiyah Bridge Tragedy are being brought to the holy city of Najaf - home to the holy shrine of Master of Believers, son-in-law, cousin and first infallible successor of holy Prophet (p), Al-Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (p) – for burial therein.

More than one thousand mourning pilgrims were martyred on Wednesday on the occasion of martyrdom anniversary of Al-Imam Mousa bin Jafar Al-Kazem (p) after a stampede was sparked by a deadly mortar and rocket strike on his holy shrine in Kazemiyah, Baghdad. According to most authentic sources over four million mourners had gathered to commemorate the occasion.

Najaf governor Alhaj As’ad Sultan Abu Kalal has ordered to specify a piece of land for burial of martyrs of the tragedy.

Security forces were deployed in Holy Najaf, and most of the roads were closed as no one was allowed to enter the holy city except residents of Holy Najaf and relatives of the victims of Al-A’immah Bridge.

Ayatullah Sheikh Bashir An-Najafi has offered condolence to Iraqi people and bereaved families of the martyrs. He held enemies of Islam and Iraq responsible for this heinous crime.

Critics blasted the Iraqi government for failing to prevent the tragedy.

Iraq President Jalal Talabani told state-run Iraqiya television that "the government should take measures for an honest investigation to determine how failures doubled the casualties."

Many families erected large tents on Sadr City streets — a traditional venue for mourners to come to pay respect to the dead - before most of the bodies began their final journey to Holy Najaf for burial.

Grief-stricken Iraqis combed hospitals and morgues on Thursday for missing loved ones as the nation grieved over the tragedy.

The air was full of cries of despair and anguish in Iraq as thousands beat their chests in grief as death reports continued to trickle in.

Constant coverage on national television included an appeal for relatives to claim a baby held up to the camera. He was found next to his mother's body.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari visited Kazemiya hospital where many of the victims were taken. He was accompanied by the ministers of defense and health.

Health Minister Abdul Mutalib Mohammad Ali called for the defense and interior ministers to resign for failing to protect the worshippers. But Iraqi Premier Ibrahim Al-Jaafari said the ministers had done everything possible to ensure the pilgrims' security and criticized Ali for making his remarks in public.

Health officials said on Thursday that bodies were still being retrieved from the Tigris River.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a statement, ''This tragedy was the direct result of terrorism; hundreds of innocent people, mostly women and children, have died because of the fear and panic that terrorists are sowing in Iraq.'’

The head of the country's Association of Muslim Scholars told Al-Jazeera television that Wednesday's disaster was ''another catastrophe and something else that could be added to the list of ongoing Iraqi tragedies.''

Iraq authorities said the tragedy was a "terrorist" act by toppled dictator Saddam's loyalists and Al-Qaeda's frontman in Iraq, Abu Musab Az-Zarqawi.

Ayatullah Sayyed Ali As-Sistani deplored the heinous aggression against mourners of Al-Imam Al-Kazem (p) in the holy city of Al-Kazemiyah and urged the government to fulfill her responsibilities, stressed on Iraqis to remain united and thus foil rift-creating conspiracies.

The tragedy provoked an international outcry with messages of sympathy flowing in from the United Nations, the United States, NATO, the European Union and the Arab League.

Neighbouring Iran offered its condolences but warned that "suspicious hands are involved in conspiracies to incite violence and bloodshed among the different Iraqi groups and tribes."

Britain, which holds the EU presidency, condemned the attack.

Shaheed Al-Mehrab Foundation Najaf held extremists and Saddamis responsible for the tragedy and demanded from the government to open investigation in the incident.

Mosques in Fallujah have called for blood donations for the victims of Kazemiyah.

Shabab Al-Abbas organization Hague said Imam Al-Kazem (p) who was martyred with poison and then his holy chained dead body was placed on the Baghdad bridge by the cruel rulers, his followers were also martyred on Wednesday by taking poisonous meal and by falling off the bridge. It condoled the last Imam Al-Mehdi, Maraje and the bereaved families.

Three-day mourning for the martyrs announced by Tehreek Nafaz-i-Fiqh-i-Jafariya chief Sayyed Hamid Moosavi began in Pakistan with Quran recitation gatherings and majales Tarahim.

Ansar Shahid Al-Mehrab organization in Finland while expressing deep grief on the martyrdom of over a thousand mourners of Imam Al-Kazem (p) has offered condolence to the Maraje, bereaved families and oppressed Iraqi people.

Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Said Al-Hakim extended condolence to Imam Al-Asr (p) on the tragedy praying for high ranks of the martyrs, patience for the bereaved families and early recovery for the injured. He condemned targeting of followers of Ahl-ol Beit (p), urged the need to investigate the tragedy and stressed for adopting protective measures to avoid such incidents to be happened in future.

International Bani Hashim Association Beirut, Lebanon, has denounced this cowardice act of terrorism holding terrorists responsible for this tragedy directly and indirectly. And also demanded from the government to fulfil its duties.

Iraqi community living in Melbourne, Australia, and Britain presented condolence to the last imam from progeny of holy Prophet (p), Al-Imam Mehdi Al-Montazar (p) on the heart-rending tragedy of Baghdad’s Al-Aimmah bridge.