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Iran may ban pilgrimage to Iraq (UPDATED)

Iran Materials 11 June 2014 17:34 (UTC +04:00)
Iran may temporarily ban its citizens' traveling to holy Iraqi cities due to security concerns, the country's police chief, Esmaeel Ahmadi Moghaddam said.
Iran may ban pilgrimage to Iraq (UPDATED)

Baku, Azerbaijan, June 11

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

Iran may temporarily ban its citizens' traveling to holy Iraqi cities due to security concerns, the country's police chief, Esmaeel Ahmadi Moghaddam said.

No decision on the issue has been made as yet, Ahmadi Moghaddam said adding that if the Supreme National Security Council decides to suspend pilgrimage to Iraq, police will implement the decision, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on June 11.

An estimated 6,000 Iranian pilgrims cross the border into Iraq every day.

The police chief also went on to say that security measures have been intensified along the borders with Iraq.

Iran's Mehr news agency quoted deputy head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Naser Khedernejad as saying following the recent developments in Iraq, the organization has decided to suspend sending pilgrims to Kadhimiya, a northern neighbourhood of Baghdad.

Khedernejad went on to note that all flights from Iran to Baghdad will be halted from June 12, adding that Najaf air port will be used as an alternative to Baghdad for Iranian flights.

Iran has already banned pilgrimage to Iraq's Samarra city due to security concerns.

The situation in the northern territory of Iran's western neighbor, Iraq sharply escalated last week. Nearly 60 people were killed as a result of numerous clashes between Iraqi security forces and militants near the city of Mosul. Members of the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) took control of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city.

Over the past few days tens of thousands of people have fled the city.

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