At least 45 people have been killed in twin suicide bomb attacks near the holy city of Karbala which appeared to target Shia pilgrims.
More than 170 people were injured in the blasts, with the death toll likely to rise.
The first attack struck Karbala's northern outskirts, while the second blast occurred about 15km south of the city, the head of Karbala provincial council Mohammed Hamid al-Mussawi told the AFP news agency.
The blasts occurred on two routes being used by pilgrims travelling to the city to take part in the Shia festival of Arbaeen, which marks 40 days since the anniversary of the death of the 7th century Imam Hussein.
Earlier on Thursday, a roadside bomb was detonated among a crowd of Shia pilgrims at the Al-Rasheed vegetable market in southern Baghdad, killing one person and wounding nine, while another such blast in a central Iraqi town killed one and injured three, an interior ministry official told AFP.
'Massive blast'
In another incident, a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-packed car outside a police office in Baquba, central Iraq. Police say three people were killed including a traffic policeman.
The bomber detonated his payload at around 10:00 am local time (0700 GMT) on Thursday, just a few blocks away from the site of a large suicide car bomb attack against another security agency on Wednesday.
"I heard a massive blast and suddenly there was a rain of shrapnel falling from the sky," said Murtada Aiseh, a 47-year-old government employee.
Although violence in Iraq has dropped sharply since its high point three years ago, the country is still plagued by small-scale attacks that have kept the nation on edge and raised doubts about the capabilities of its security forces.
Shia pilgrims killed in Iraq blasts - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
More than 170 people were injured in the blasts, with the death toll likely to rise.
The first attack struck Karbala's northern outskirts, while the second blast occurred about 15km south of the city, the head of Karbala provincial council Mohammed Hamid al-Mussawi told the AFP news agency.
The blasts occurred on two routes being used by pilgrims travelling to the city to take part in the Shia festival of Arbaeen, which marks 40 days since the anniversary of the death of the 7th century Imam Hussein.
Earlier on Thursday, a roadside bomb was detonated among a crowd of Shia pilgrims at the Al-Rasheed vegetable market in southern Baghdad, killing one person and wounding nine, while another such blast in a central Iraqi town killed one and injured three, an interior ministry official told AFP.
'Massive blast'
In another incident, a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-packed car outside a police office in Baquba, central Iraq. Police say three people were killed including a traffic policeman.
The bomber detonated his payload at around 10:00 am local time (0700 GMT) on Thursday, just a few blocks away from the site of a large suicide car bomb attack against another security agency on Wednesday.
"I heard a massive blast and suddenly there was a rain of shrapnel falling from the sky," said Murtada Aiseh, a 47-year-old government employee.
Although violence in Iraq has dropped sharply since its high point three years ago, the country is still plagued by small-scale attacks that have kept the nation on edge and raised doubts about the capabilities of its security forces.
Shia pilgrims killed in Iraq blasts - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
