At least eight Shi'ite pilgrims were killed in a car bomb in central Baghdad Sunday night ahead of a religious festival.<br/> <br />The blast happened along one of the city's main thoroughfares. Shards of glass and debris filled the streets outside shops and apartment buildings.<br/> <br />The festival, Oushura, commemorates the slaying of Prophet Mohammad's grandson in the Battle of Kerbala in 680 AD.<br/> <br />Oushura is celebrated by millions of Shi'ite muslims in Iraq and is often marred by violence and suicide bombings.<br/> <br />Officials say violence could be especially severe this year with the presence of Islamic State militants in the country.
