Twin bombings kill pilgrims gathered for holy observance

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A car bomb has ripped through a crowd of Shi'ite pilgrims outside the holy city of Karbala, sending many fleeing into the path of a suicide attacker who detonated a second bomb in co-ordinated blasts that killed at least 40 people.

The twin bombings came on the final day of an annual Shi'ite religious observance, which was the target of three large-scale attacks in Iraq last week. In Pakistan, two bombs targeting Shi'ites observing the same holy day on Friday killed at least 25 people and wounded around 100 more.

The bloodshed in Iraq is likely to further stoke tensions between the Shi'ite-led government and Sunnis over the push to ban some candidates from March 7 parliamentary elections.

The US is concerned the ban could destabilise Iraq, crippling efforts to reconcile majority Shi'ites and Sunnis who dominated Iraq until Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday's blasts, but Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki blamed al Qaeda and Saddam loyalists, saying in a statement the two groups failed to ignite sectarian strife and destabilise the country with the attacks on pilgrims.

Shortly after noon, a parked car bomb exploded on a road clogged with pilgrims 10km east of one of three main entrances to the holy city of Karbala, two health ministry officials said. The explosion sent throngs of pilgrims running down the highway and straight into the path of a suicide car bomber who detonated a second vehicle, they said.

At least 154 people were wounded in the consecutive blasts, the officials said.

The number of Shi'ites - estimated in the millions - makes the annual observance a prime target for suspected Sunni militants. In each of the past two years, attacks during the ceremonies killed around 60 pilgrims.

Also Friday, a roadside bomb struck a bus carrying pilgrims through Baghdad, killing two and wounding 13. Iraqis angered by the violence questioned how anyone managed to plant bombs in an area where the government had deployed an additional 30,000 security forces.

- AP