50 killed in Iraq shrine bombing

Iraq: A suicide attack by Islamic State on a Shi'te shrine in northern Iraq on Friday has claimed at least 50 lives and left 94 others wounded.

The attack carried out by three bombers who disguised as members of the pro-government Shi'ite militia was targeted at the shrine of Imam al-Sayed Mohammed bin Ali late Thursday night in Balad, about 80 kilometres north of Baghdad.

A senior police officer said the bombers had refused to show their ID cards as they entered the shrine.

Two bombers detonated their explosive vests at the main gate of the site, the officer added.

The third bomber threw two hand grenades in the courtyard of the shrine, which was filled with visitors before blowing himself up.

In an effort to ease sectarian hostilities, the governor of Salah al-Din, Ahmed al-Jabouri, called on residents to stand united against the violence.
Eminent Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, directed a militia force to go to Balad to secure the shrine and its visitors.

Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Ali al-Sistani condemned the attack, accusing the Islamic State of attempting to instigate factional conflict in the Shi'ite-majority country and called for "substantial changes" in the top rank of the security structure.