Double suicide bombing kills 24 at mosque

The coordinated blasts were the latest in a string of attacks in Iraq, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed it to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

The blasts happened near and inside a mosque in Baghdad’s northern Qahira neighbourhood.

Police said the first bomber struck at a checkpoint near the mosque. Amid the confusion, a second bomber slipped into the mosque and blew himself up during midday prayers.

Violence has surged in Iraq in recent months, along with sectarian and political tensions. Insurgents frequently attack Shiites deemed by Sunni extremists as infidels.

There was no claim of responsibility, but suicide bombings and attacks against Shiite worshippers are frequently the work of al-Qaida’s Iraq arm.

The bloodshed roiling Iraq has risen to levels not seen since 2008. Nearly 2,000 have been killed since the start of April, including more than 220 this month.