Iraq’s Border Crossings Authority confirms entry of nearly 3.5M pilgrims during Holy Arba’een

The Iraqi Border Crossings Authority announced that 3,445,627 visitors entered Iraq through its border crossings over a period of twenty days to participate in the Holy Arbaeen Pilgrimage.

The official spokesperson for the authority, Alaa al-Din al-Qaisi, said on Monday that, “The number of foreign visitors arriving in the country reached 3,445,627 since the first of Safar, corresponding to August 6, until Sunday, the 20th of Safar, which corresponds to August 25.”

He added that “the number of foreign visitors departing during the same period was 2,807,148,” noting that “this occurred through the Safwan, Shalamcheh, Shib, Zurbatiyah, Mandali, Al-Qaim, Baghdad Airport, Najaf Ashraf Airport, Haji Omaran, and Bashmaq border crossings.”

Every year, large numbers of pilgrims come from Iranian cities towards Holy Karbala to commemorate the Holy Arbaeen of Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, with some arriving in Holy Karbala through the Kurdistan region.