Mohammed Ahmed Ali, 42, had made the difficult trip to Karbala in Iraq 19 times before. The 20th was to be his last. The Hyderabad resident was amongst the three Indian and 11 Pakistani men killed on the way to the holy pilgrimage.

The other two Indians executed by terrorists were also from Andhra Pradesh. Jaffer Mashadi was from the East Godavari district, while Dr Mir Mohuddin Beig lived about two hours away from Hyderabad.

Ahmed Ali’s small house in Noorkhan Bazaar, part of the old city, is overflowing with relatives, friends and local politicians. Ahmed Ali had gone on the pilgrimage alone this year, leaving his wife, three children, mother and brother back in Hyderabad.

The family received the news late last night from the family of M Beig. They later got a call from the Indian Embassy in Baghdad.

According to Ali’s brother, Haider Ali, the family also spoke to the tour organisers, as well as other female members of the pilgrimage, who told them what had really happened.

“The bus had 42 people in it, out of which 18 were men. The bus was on its way from Jordan to Karbala. At around noon, it broke down about 100 km from Karbala. Tour organiser Sayeeda Zainad told us that four armed men claiming to be policemen entered the bus,” says Haider. These men reportedly got the passengers to alight and take all their baggage out.

“We were told that they then put the women back in the bus and told them to go to Karbala, saying that the men would be interrogated and released after prayers.”

... contd.