A roadside bomb in Baghdad and a mortar attack on pilgrims south of the capital killed five people Friday, a day before tens of thousands of people were expected in the holy city of Karbala for a religious festival. On Thursday, U.S.-led forces turned over control of Iraq's military command to the Iraqi government, a key step toward the eventual withdrawal of foreign troops. But the ceremony in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone only transferred authority for one of Iraq's 10 divisions and its small air force and navy, and it remained unclear how quickly Iraqi forces would be prepared to take over security. In Musayyib, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of Baghdad on Friday, three mortar rounds landed on a procession of pilgrims heading to Karbala for Saturday's ceremony, killing at least three and wounding 22, four of whom were critically injured, Musayyib police was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. In Baghdad, a roadside bomb targeting a police patrol Friday killed two people and wounded six, police said. The blast occurred in the Zayouna area in the east of the capital, and the wounded included three policemen, police 1st Lt. Bilal Ali Majid said.
