In a second day of major bloodshed, two suicide bombers wearing explosive vests blew themselves up at the gates of a Shia Muslim shrine in Baghdad on today killing at least 60 people.
At least 125 people were wounded in the attack at the Imam Moussa al-Kadhim shrine in the Shi'ite neighbourhood of Kadhimiya, a frequent target of insurgent groups.
Police said the attackers approached two different gates of the shrine among crowds of Shia pilgrims. One of the bombers detonated the explosives just inside a courtyard of the shrine, which contains the tombs of two important holy men, or imams.
The blasts on the Muslim holy day followed two suicide attacks yesterday, one in Baghdad and the other in the northeastern province of Diyala, in which at least 89 people died. It appeared to be the highest daily toll in over a year.
The attacks coincide with growing fears of a resurgence in violence as US troops prepare to pull out of Iraqi cities in June, ahead of a full US withdrawal by the end of 2011, and doubts over the effectiveness of Iraqi police and soldiers.
A national election at the end of the year has also heightened expectations of violence as political parties and armed groups jostle for dominance Iraq.