Baghdad: Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up near the gates of a Shiite shrine in Baghdad on Friday, killing 60 people, Iraqi police said.
At least 125 people were wounded in the blasts that took place within minutes of one another at the Imam Mousa Al Kadhim shrine in the Shiite neighbourhood of Kadhimiya, police said.
Many of the dead and wounded were Iranian visitors. While violence has fallen sharply over the past year, insurgent groups such as Al Qaida still carry out frequent attacks.
The latest attacks coincide with growing fears of a resurgence in violence as US combat troops prepare to pull out of Iraqi cities in June, ahead of a full withdrawal by the end of 2011, and amid doubts over the effectiveness of Iraqi forces.
A national election at the end of the year has also heightened apprehensions as political parties and armed groups jostle for dominance of the oil-producing nation.
Analysts say the sectarian divide that caused Shiites and Sunnis to slaughter each other remains, while Kurd-Arab tensions over disputed lands could also provoke renewed conflict.
Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's office set up a commission to investigate yesterday's explosions and ordered the detention of two Iraqi commanders responsible for securing the shrine.
Interior Minister Jawad Al Bolani blamed Al Qaida.
"It's not a security failure because they aren't targeting government or security facilities. They are targeting civilians. That is proof of how weak they are," Bolani told Reuters.
