Iran Police Chief Confident about Security of Arbaeen Pilgrims
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Police Commander Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari made assurances that his forces would provide full security for citizens traveling to Iraq for the Arbaeen mourning ceremony later this month.
Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Saturday, Brigadier General Ashtari pointed to police’s arrangements for the upcoming ceremonies and marches marking Arbaeen and said the police started to take security measures several months ago.
The measures aim to facilitate the passage of pilgrims and ensure their security, he said, adding that this year, the police have increased the number of gates to speed up the passage of pilgrims.
The police commander further emphasized that there is no concern about the security of the people travelling to Iraq.
Arbaeen, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, a huge crowd of Shiites flock to the Iraqi city of Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
Iranian pilgrims traveling to Iraq by land can choose from three border crossings, Shalamcheh, Chazzabeh and Mehran.
This year’s Arbaeen falls on October 30.
