成千上万的什叶派穆斯林朝圣者不顾逊尼派极端分子的袭击威胁，聚集在伊拉克圣城卡尔巴拉，庆祝一年一度的阿舒拉节。
伊拉克安全部队部署了数万名军人来保护朝圣者。什叶派穆斯林的阿舒拉节纪念先知穆罕默德的孙子侯赛因。侯赛因死于公元7世纪，他是什叶派伊斯兰教最崇敬的人物之一。他的死标志着什叶派和逊尼派穆斯林之间的分裂。
前往卡尔巴拉的什叶派穆斯林多次遭到袭击。伊斯兰国组织的逊尼派激进分子声称对这些袭击负责。
与此同时，人权组织人权观察指责伊斯兰国武装分子折磨虐待库尔德儿童。伊斯兰国今年5月从叙利亚城镇科巴尼绑架了一些库尔德儿童。
Hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims have gathered in the holy Iraqi city of Karbala for the annual Ashura commemoration, despite the threat of Sunni extremist attacks.
Iraq's security forces have deployed tens of thousands of troops to protect the pilgrims, who are observing the 7th century death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein, one of Shi'ite Islam's most revered figures. His death marks the rift between Shi'ite and Sunni Islam.
Sunni militants from the Islamic State group have claimed responsibility for multiple deadly attacks against Shi'ites who were traveling to Karbala for Ashura.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch says Islamic State fighters tortured and abused Kurdish children they abducted from the northern Syrian town of Kobani.
