Iraq: Bombs Hit Mosques Killing 8 ahead of Provincial Elections

At least eight people have been killed in Iraq by two bombs that exploded near a Sunni mosque north of Baghdad, officials said.

Two blasts in quick succession were reported just outside the Omar Bin Abdul-Aziz mosque in the town of Kanaan, about 75 kilometres (47 miles) northeast of the capital, police officials in the Diyala province said. More than 30 people have been wounded in the explosions.

The bombing targeted worshippers that were leaving the mosque after the traditional Friday midday prayers.

Minutes after the attack, another explosion was reported near a Shiite mosque in western Baghdad. Police and hospital officials said a bomb went off wounding eight.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the two separate attacks.

Sectarian violence remains a major concern in Iraq a decade after the US-led invasion.

More than 50 people died in a series of explosions that rocked Baghdad, targeting Shiite-dominated areas, last month.

Al-Qaida has been blamed for the string of coordinated bombings against civilian targets such as mosques, markets and restaurants that have hit the country in recent months.

The terrorist group carries its strikes primary against the Shiite population and public authorities linked to the Shiite-led government.

However Al-Qaida has also been accused of having hit some Sunni targets as part of a strategy to fuel ethnic violence.

Tension in the country is also mounting because of the forthcoming provincial elections. On 20 April, 12 of Iraq's 18 provinces will head to the polls in the first vote since 2010.

According to AFP at least 12 local candidates have been killed across the country so far.

Last week a suicide bomber blew himself up at a lunch hosted by a Sunni candidate in the city of Baqouba, killing 20 people.