Shafaq News/ Iraq's Minister of Interior, Othman al-Ghanmi, on Saturday headed an expanded meeting of top security commanders to discuss the preparations for the multi-million pilgrimage of the Arbaeen, the world's largest religious annual gathering.

The Arbaeen marks the end of a 40-day mourning period following Ashura, the religious ritual that commemorates the death of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein in 680.

The meeting, according to a readout by the Interior Ministry, was attended by the Deputy Commander of the Joint Operations Command, the Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Iraqi Army, and a group of senior security commanders and officeholders in the Ministries of Transport and Trade.

The readout said that the meeting touched upon the preparation for the huge event and the needs of the governorate of Karbala, which will witness the climax of the event after two weeks.