33 killed, 108 injured, in Iraq suicide bombing

A suicide bomber detonated a belt of explosives near a highly-revered Shiite shrine in southern Iraq today, killing at least 33 people and injuring 108.

The bomber blew himself up while being patted down by policemen near the Imam Ali mosque in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, said Dr. Munthir al-Ithari, the head of Najaf’s health directorate. He said one Iranian woman was among the 33 dead and nine Iranians among the 108 injured.