Karbala: The head of the Security Media Cell, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, confirmed on Tuesday that the Arbaeen pilgrimage plan achieved a high degree of efficiency in the return movement of pilgrims. He noted that Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi oversaw all details of the pilgrimage and ensured the necessary requirements for its success were met.
According to Iraqi News Agency, Maan stated that this year's Arbaeen pilgrimage plan included the formation of a high-level security committee, a service committee, and a transportation and return movement committee headed by the head of the Hajj and Umrah Commission, Sheikh Sami al-Masoudi.
Maan explained that the government provided direct support for the plan's success, adding that Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi oversaw all details of the Arbaeen pilgrimage and ensured the necessary requirements for its success were met.
He added that the plan included providing 2,400 buses operating 24 hours a day, tasked with transporting pilgrims from within the holy city of Karbala to destinations outside the city via the northern, eastern, and southern routes. The transportation was provided free of charge, in addition to the participation of 1,200 vehicles from various ministries.
Maan explained that the movement of pilgrims has been consistently smooth, despite some congestion due to the large number of pilgrims and their departure, as well as the movement of private vehicles on the routes for both the outgoing and return pilgrims.
He pointed out that this year's Arbaeen pilgrimage, according to various indicators and measurements, has witnessed a marked improvement compared to previous years in the flow of pilgrims and their return, emphasizing the continued monitoring by the committee overseeing the plan, in addition to the efforts of the security forces deployed along the routes, with the aim of facilitating the departure of the last pilgrims from the holy city of Karbala towards all Iraqi provinces, as well as border crossings and airports for non-Iraqi pilgrims.