A suicide bomber wearing an explosives-packed vest killed 12 people and injured 17 others inside a Shi'ite mosque south of Baghdad at prayer time on Friday, police said. According to Reuters, the attack took place a day after Iraq's parliament passed a security pact with Washington.
The mosque, 60 km south of Baghdad, where the suicide bombing occurred is mainly used by worshippers who follow Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
The blast happened shortly before Friday prayers were due to start, a police source said.
Meanwhile, al-Sadr has declared three days of mourning after the ratification of the 'humiliating' US-Iraq security pact. Al-Sadr called on his supports on Friday to "put up black flags, organize mourning ceremonies across the country and hold peaceful demonstrations."
His movement pledged to "keep up its rejection of this humiliating accord and resist through all means," Aws al-Khafaji, a close aide to the cleric was quoted by AFP as saying at a press conference.
