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War, War, War See other War, War, War Articles Title: Iraq: Attack Outside Shia Mosque Kills 35 A suicide bomber today killed at least 35 people in an attack outside Iraq's most revered Shia mosque. The bomber blew himself up while being patted down by policemen near the Imam Ali mosque in the holy city of Najaf, home to the tomb of Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. Pilgrims and shoppers were in the Grand Market outside the mosque when the bomber struck at 10.30am local time. Shakir Obeid Hassan, one of those injured, said the suicide bomber was stopped at the last police checkpoint before the mosque, which itself was untouched. All the stores facing the shrine were, however, damaged. "Before I reached the checkpoint, only a few meters from the shrine, I heard a huge explosion. Something hit me on the head and I fell. I couldn't hear for a while but I saw bodies and human flesh everywhere," Mr Hassan, 51, told the Associated Press from his hospital bed. The Shia Muslim religious authority, the Hawza, said in a statement that it blamed Sunni Arabs loyal to Saddam Hussein for the attack. "We hold Takfiris [Sunni extremists] and Saddamists directly responsible for this horrible crime ... at the same time we hold those who embrace terrorism in Iraq and the countries supporting it as responsible," the statement said. The aftermath of the bombing presented a scene of carnage. Indistinguishable debris, boxes of perfume bottles, sandals and worry beads littered the bloodied street. Volunteers picked up human remains and washed away the thick pools of blood. It was the worst attack in the twin cities of Najaf and Kut since the July 18 bombing of another Shia shrine in Kut that killed 53 people. That attack was claimed by a group affiliated with al-Qaida. Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad, is a major pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims around the world, especially from neighboring Iran. It is considered the world centre of Shia Muslim theology. The Shia Endowment, which is responsible for Shia shrines in Iraq, urged people to remain calm. The attack shows "blind hatred and insistence on blasphemy", the endowment said in a statement, and called on people "to remain united" to thwart sectarianism.
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