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Today in History: Bomb blast kills 25 at Imam Reza shrine

6/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On 20 June 1994, a bomb detonated in the crowded prayer hall of Iran’s Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad during Ashura, killing at least 25 worshippers and wounding over 70. The attack struck the eighth Shia Imam’s mausoleum—one of Islam’s most visited pilgrimage sites—when hundreds had gathered to commemorate Imam Husayn.

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Story summary

On 20 June 1994, a bomb detonated in the crowded prayer hall of Iran’s Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad during Ashura, killing at least 25 worshippers and wounding over 70. The attack struck the eighth Shia Imam’s mausoleum—one of Islam’s most visited pilgrimage sites—when hundreds had gathered to commemorate Imam Husayn.