Thousands gather in Iraq’s Karbala for Ashura processions

Shafaq News- Karbala

Black flags line the streets of Karbala on Saturday as thousands of mourners fill the city in the days leading up to Ashura, the annual commemoration of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, killed along members of his family and companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.

Shafaq News lens captured the gatherings across the city and near the holy shrines, where worshippers of different age groups moved through the streets in organized processions, carrying banners and reenacting scenes linked to the battle.

The atmosphere featured chest-beating (latm), chain flagellation (zanjeel), and rhythmic drumming, all part of long-standing Ashura traditions.

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