Hundreds die in Iraq

Shi'ite muslims, making a pilgrimage to Baghdad to commemorate the death of the Shia saint, Imam Musa ibn Jaafar al-Kadhim, came under mortar fire from insurgents, killing 7.
US forces later confirmed that an Apache helicopter fired on the mortar position, but were unclear as to whether they were killed.

A short time later, rumours of a suicide bomber spread among the crowd causing panic.
Many were trampled to death when a bridge collapsed or drowned as they lept and fell into the Tigris to escape.
The estimated death toll is expected to rise to over 1000.

Another 6 Shi'ite pilgrims were wounded in a separate attack when they were fired upon by insurgents.
News24 also report that another 25 died by eating food that had been poisoned.

The Iraqi goverment are being quick to point the finger at Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and say it was one of his terrorists spreading the rumour of a suicide bomber to the crowd.
However, Iraqi Defence Minister Saadoun al-Dulaimi told reporters 'What happened has nothing at all to do with any sectarian tension, only the seven that were killed (by the mortar) this morning were killed by terrorists.'

Oddly enough Dulaimi is a Sunni.

After the murdered bodies of 37 Sunnis were found last week, it sounds more and more like a civil war to me, but what do I know...well I know one thing, after the 3 days of mourning declared by the government is over, they will want revenge.
This is going to get ugly as the tit for tat killings will continue.