HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: In commemoration of upcoming Arba’een, or the fortieth day after the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad (p)’s grandson Imam Hussein (p) several hundred thousand mourners have reached the holy city of Karbala while hundreds of thousands still marching towards the holy city waving Husseini flags in pride, chanting dirges in deep devotion and beating their chests in piety despite terror attacks.

“Why be afraid,” said a pilgrim walking through Dora, his T-shirt wrapped around his head to ward off the sun and a single change of clothes in a plastic grocery bag slung over his shoulder. “Let us die for the sake of Imam Hussein.”

Husseini mourning – majalis, mawakeb, screaming in grief for Hussein (p), shedding tears and extending condolences to the holy family of Chief of Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (p) - was on climax on Tuesday ahead of Arbaeen that is being observed in Iraq on Thursday March 31 making the atmosphere in the country particularly in this holy city very grieved and mournful.

Significance of Arbaeen is evident by a saying of Imam Al-Askari (p) that there are five characteristics of a faithful and one of them is Ziarah of Imam Al-Hussein (p) on the 40th day of his martyrdom.

To facilitate Husseini mourners gathered in Karbala as well as those making their way to this holy city, specials foods are being cooked in giant pots.

On first Arbaeen after the ouster of despot Saddam, some 10 million mourners had descended on the holy city of Karbala, according to a British TV channel.

On Monday, a suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle near a crowd of Husseini mourners who were traveling to Karbala for Arbaeen commemoration leaving at least seven of them martyred and wounding over one dozen. Police in Karbala said the terror attack occurred on the road leading from Hilla, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad.

Also, an explosive device went off in Maqdam Qudr shrine in the town of Khalas, 25 kms north of Baquba, northeast of Baghdad as Husseini mourners arrived at noon to rest before continuing on their way to the holy city of Karbala to take part in the Arbaeen ceremonies. One pilgrim was martyred and four others were wounded in the attack.

Meanwhile, two young Husseini mourners named Mohaned Mohsen, 20, and Udai Kazem, 19, who began walking the 110 kilometres (70 miles) from their homes in Baghdad's Sadr City on Saturday to Karbala for Arbaeen told of their ordeal and miraculous escape on the road to the holy city of Karbala after they were kidnapped, tricked and tortured by terrorists.

"Before we reached Latifiyah (40 kilometres, 25 miles south of Baghdad), a Japanese car drew up alongside and the four occupants forced us inside and drove us to a farm," said Mohaned, his face blue and swollen with bruises. Inside the farmhouse, they interrogated and insulted the two boys because they were walking to Karbala, then after two hours one of them told the boys that they were free to go and they gave them a motorbike to continue their journey.

The young duo got on the bike but Mohaned said "I can hear a noise in the motor, I think it's booby trapped." They lept from the bike, which exploded just a few seconds later, and tried to run for it but were caught by their kidnappers. "They took us to another farm, hit us with electric cables and tortured us for hours. Around midnight they were tired of beating us and went out," said Udai, his back covered in wounds. Mohaned managed to undo the rope that bound him and the two fled onto the main road, where they found a joint Iraqi-US patrol.

Iraqi police have bolstered security in and around Karbala over the past week.

Arbaeen attack foiled, hundreds of thousands descending on Karbala HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: Security has been increased as hundreds of thousands of mourning devotees continue converging in the holy city of Karbala to mark Arbaeen that falls on Thursday March 31 while Iraqi officials said soldiers backed by US helicopters killed several suspected terrorists and seized 131 more in a dawn raid Saturday, capturing tons of explosives earmarked for attacks on this holy city prior to Arbaeen. Moosavi at CC meet demands special arrangements on Arbaeen RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Quaid-i-Millat-i-Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi has demanded from the government to make special arrangements and improve the law and order further on the occasion of Chehlum of Syed-ush-Shuhada Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S.) and his 72 loyal near and dear ones.