A suicide bomber killed 10 people and wounded 11 when he blew himself up after evening prayers in a mosque in Falluja, west of Baghdad, today, police and hospital sources said.
Police said the bomber had entered the office of the mosque imam where the imam, Abdul Sattar al-Jumaili, his son and a group of worshippers had been meeting.
The United States is pushing for a political accord between Iraqi leaders to reduce sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis.
Meanwhile police killed three people on tonight in clashes with pilgrims in Iraq's holy city of Kerbala, where tens of thousands of Shias have gathered for one of the holiest days on the Shia calendar.
A Reuters photographer said he saw one pilgrim shot dead outside his hotel. Several wounded were carried away by fellow pilgrims.
A water tanker was ablaze and the sounds of gunfire echoed in the streets around the hotel, situated between the Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas mosques, for about two hours, he said.
Police said they opened fire on a large crowd of pilgrims infuriated by the strict security measures in force in the city for the celebrations, killing three and wounding 13.
Meanwhile Iraq's top Shia, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political leaders announced last night they had agreed some key measures seen as vital to fostering national reconciliation.
Iraqi officials said the five leaders had agreed on draft legislation that would ease curbs on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party joining the civil service and military.
Consensus was also reached on a law governing provincial powers as well as setting up a mechanism to release some detainees held without charge, a key demand of Sunni Arabs since the majority being held are Sunnis.
The laws need to be passed by Iraq's fractious parliament, which has yet to receive any of the drafts.
The agreement was welcomed by the United States. There has been growing frustration in Washington over the political paralysis that has gripped the government of Shia Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
The apparent breakthrough comes two weeks before President George W. Bush's top officials in Iraq present a report that could have a major influence on future American policy in Iraq.
Mr Maliki's appearance on Iraqi television with the four other leaders at a brief news conference was a rare show of public unity.
The other officials present were President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd; Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi; Shia Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi, and Masoud Barzani, president of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.