BAGHDAD, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces are facing their first serious test of working by their own after the June 30U.S. troops' withdrawal, to maintain security during a major Shiite religious pilgrimage that draws millions of pilgrims.
Hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims converged on Saturday in Baghdad's northern holy district of Kadhimiyah to commemorate the death of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, the seventh Imam of the most revered 12 Shiite Imams.
During the past five days, the total number of pilgrims reached up to four millions and is expected to climb to six millions by the end of the event which culminates on Saturday, according to Iraqi official estimates.
Processions of pilgrims kept pouring on foot or by bus from Baghdad's neighborhoods, cities across the country and from outside Iraq.
"We have been receiving pilgrims for several days and their numbers are in the millions, some came from Arab countries and others from other countries," Fadhel al-Anbari, an official in theshrine said.
Iraqi authorities tightened security measures, imposing traffic ban on the district of Kadhimiyah and blocking all the entrances to the holly site. Only pedestrians are allowed, but they have to cross three rings of security checkpoints.
"This is the first 100 percent Iraqi security plan to protect the pilgrims of Imam Musa al-Kadhim. The forces are all Iraqis, even the helicopters above," said Major General Qassim Atta, spokesman of Baghdad command operations.
The Iraqi authorities consider the security measures during the major pilgrimage as a key test for its security troops after more than two weeks of the U.S. troops' withdrawal from Iraqi cities and towns according to security agreement signed late last year between Baghdad and Washington.
Despite security measures, some bomb attacks took place against Shiite pilgrims who were traveling on foot through Baghdad districts. On Friday only, sporadic bomb attacks in Baghdad killed a pilgrim and wounded 41 others.
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