A female suicide bomber killed at least 35 people and injured 65 in an attack on pilgrims entering a Shi'ite shrine in northwestern Baghdad on Sunday, the Iraqi government said. The exolosion struck a checkpoint outside the Imam Moussa al-Kadhim shrine in Kadhimiya as Shi'ites prepared for the Ashura holiday this week marking the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad.
Most of the casualties were pilgrims from Iran, security spokesman Major-General Qassim Moussawi said. "A woman wearing an explosive vest managed to reach one of the security checkpoints near the revered Kadhim shrine and exploded herself among a crowd of pilgrims," he said in a statement, cited by Reuters. However, later it was reported that it was a male bomber.
He gave an initial death toll of 35 killed and 65 wounded. Iraqi security sources said at least 38 people had died.
