Zuhra Husseini Brigade completes 90-km desert march from Dhi Qar to Karbala

DHI QAR, Iraq — Members of the Zuhra Husseini Brigade set out from the Nasir district of Dhi Qar province this week on their annual desert march toward Karbala, a religious journey that has continued for 22 years, according to the group's leader Mustafa Jawad. Jawad said the procession covered more than 90 kilometers of desert terrain over two to three days despite high temperatures, departing from the Sayyid al-Ahadir shrine in Nasir. He added that the group numbered more than 1,500 people at the start of the march and grew to around 4,000 by the time it entered Karbala, as visitors from other regions joined along the route. Officials noted that the desert path historically lacked service stations, but a limited number of rest stops have been set up in recent years, offering water, cold drinks and meals to the travelers. No further details on the schedule or number of participants in the broader annual observance were immediately available.