Car bomb explosion kills 3 south of Baghdad

People inspect the scene of a car bomb attack in al-Mouafaqiyah, a village inhabited by families from the Shabak ethnic group, near the city of Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. Three car bomb explosions in Iraq’s north on Monday, killing and wounding scores of people, police said. AP

BAGHDAD—Iraqi officials say a parked car bomb has killed three people and wounded 21 south of Baghdad.

A police officer says Monday’s explosion took place in a busy street in the southern city of Hillah where local government offices are located. He says some Shiite pilgrims were there making their way to the nearby city of Karbala to mark the 7th century death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein.

He didn’t say how many pilgrims were among the casualties. Hillah is about 95 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad.

A doctor confirmed the causality figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

Shiite pilgrims are one of the favorite targets for Sunni extremists.