Six people have died after a car bomb exploded outside a Baghdad police station on Sunday morning.
The bomb exploded during rush hour in a largely Shiite neighbourhood of Kadhimiyah, according to AFP, and is the latest in a succession of violent acts that have swept through the country sparking fears of a sectarian crisis.
The bomb exploded near a branch of the Istikbarat, which is the police department that specialises in intelligence, according to Iraqi security officials who spoke to AFP.
Three of the six dead were guards at the Istikbarat, the officials added. 22 people have been reported so far, AFP reported.
Kadhimiyah is home to a shrine to the Imam Musa Kadhim, a sacred figure in Shiite Islam. Last week, Shiite pilgrims from all over the world flocked to the neighbourhood as part of massive commemorations for his 799 AD death.
Shiite pilgrims are often targeted by Sunni militants (who are often linked to Al Qaeda). No group has, of yet, claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing.
Violence in Iraq has risen dramatically this year. May was the deadliest month in the country since 2008, and fears of an all out sectarian crisis have grown.
The UN envoy to Iraq Martin Kobler has warned that the violence is "ready to explode", AFP reported.
