WASHINGTON, March 15: The US military has called a battalion-size force of 700 to 800 troops from Kuwait into Iraq to help beef up security during Arbaiin, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning for the Kerbala martyrs, a US army official said on Wednesday.

The mechanised infantry unit will deploy in the Baghdad area for 30 to 45 days to shore up security during the occasion, the official said.

“We can’t discount the recent violence,” he added, referring to the Feb 22 bombing of a shrine that set off a wave of sectarian violence.

“Anywhere there is a large presence of celebrants or religious events, that’s a potential target,” said the official.

He said a visible military presence, consisting primarily of Iraqi security forces, would be used to discourage attacks.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld alluded to the deployment at a news conference on Tuesday.

“We move troops in and out depending on events, like we did for the referendum, the election,” Mr Rumsfeld said. “Gen (George) Casey may decide he wants to bulk up slightly for the pilgrimage.”

—AFP