Baghdad bombers slaughter pilgrims

At least 12 people in Baghdad were killed by bombs targeting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims taking part in the final day of a Shiite religious holiday.

The deaths yesterday came a day after nearly 60 people were killed in attacks in and around the Iraqi capital, most of them by a suicide bomber who targeted pilgrims heading to a mosque in northern Baghdad to mark the anniversary of the death of a revered Shiite figure.

While violence in Iraq has plummeted since the height of the insurgency a few years ago, the attacks targeting devout Shiites who walk from across Iraq to take part in the holy occasion underscore the tentative nature of the security gains and the persistent attempts by insurgents to provoke sectarian divisions.

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The attacks came as Iraq struggles to seat a government a little over four months after the March 7 election failed to bring about a clear winner to lead the country.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks but similar incidents in the past have been blamed on Sunni extremists who view Shiites as non-believers and object to the Shiite-led government that now runs Iraq.