10 Iranian pilgrims killed, 12 injured in car-ramming incident in Basra

Ten Iranian pilgrims were killed and 12 others injured early Thursday in a car-ramming incident in Iraq's southern province of Basra after a drunk driver lost control of his vehicle and struck a group of pedestrians walking toward Karbala.

16 July, 2026 11:53

NEWSDESK

Ten Iranian pilgrims were killed and 12 others injured early Thursday in a car-ramming incident in Iraq's Basra province after a four-wheel-drive vehicle driven by a man under the influence of alcohol struck a group of pedestrians walking toward Karbala, according to Iraqi media.

A security source told local media that the incident occurred at around 3:00 a.m. on the main road in the al-Hartha district, northeast of Basra, when the driver of a Chevrolet Tahoe lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a group of Iranian pilgrims.

The source said 10 pilgrims were killed at the scene, while 12 others sustained varying injuries and were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment. Some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.

The same source confirmed that the driver was heavily intoxicated, which was identified as the primary cause of the crash.

A-H

ANHA