Iraqi officials say a suicide bomber has killed at least nine Iranian pilgrims and injured at least 25 others north of Baghdad.

Police said the attacker rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a convoy of buses carrying Iranian Shi’ite pilgrims.

The pilgrims were on their way to the holy city of Najaf. The attack occurred near Muqdadiyah, about 90 kilometers from the Iraqi capital.

Najaf, which lies some 170 kilometers south of Baghdad, is the location of a shrine to a revered figure in Shi’ite Islam.

Hundreds have been killed in recent months in Iraq in a series of attacks between Sunnis and Shi’a, raising fears of a large-scale sectarian conflict in the country.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa
By RFE/RL