Blast at Shiite mosque kills at least 10

A bomb exploded at the entrance of a Shiite mosque south of Baghdad as worshippers gathered for prayers ahead of the end of the day’s Ramadan fast today, killing at least 10 people and wounding 40, police and hospital officials said.

The explosion hit the Ibn al-Nama mosque in Hillah, a Shiite town that has been the scene of frequent deadly insurgent attacks.

Police were trying to determine whether today’s blast was caused by a car packed with explosives or a bomb left at the scene, said police spokesman Capt Muthanna Khaled Ali.

The blast killed at least 10 people and wounded 40, said Ali and emergency doctor Ibrahim Nafi.

The attack came five days after a car bomb exploded in a crowded Hillah market, killing 10 people, including three women and two children.