Suicide Bomber Kills 41 Shiite Pilgrims near Baghdad

A female suicide bomber attacked a group of Shiite pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad Monday, killing 41 and wounding over 100, the New York Times reports. The woman was able to mingle among the worshipers, who were visiting a Shiite shrine, before detonating an explosive device.

Shiites from across Iraq, Iran, and other countries make an annual journey to Karbala, south of Baghdad, to celebrate the end of mourning of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad. Many make the trip on foot, which can take weeks, under the threat of attack from rival Islamic factions.

The attack was another incident in a wave of violence that has rocked the Iraqi capital ahead of its national elections. Last week, three simultaneous car bombings hit major hotels on the day the government executed Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali" for his role in using chemical weapons against Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s. Al-Majid was a cousin of Saddam Hussein.