US troops killed an al-Qaida leader behind the bombing of twin minarets at Iraq's prized Golden Dome shrine in Samarra, the military said today.

A car bomb exploded in a Shiite holy city and 13 members of one Shiite family were gunned down north-east of the capital today in a surge of attacks that killed at least 30 people despite heightened security aimed at curbing sectarian violence following the bombing of a revered Shiite shrine.

A large explosion heavily damaged the golden dome of one of Iraq’s most famous Shiite religious shrines today, sending protesters pouring into the streets. It was the third major attack against Shiite targets in as many days.