Explosion hits Sunni mosque in Iraq, killing 11

[September 20, 2013]  BAGHDAD (AP) -- An Iraqi official says an explosion has struck inside a Sunni mosque north of Baghdad, killing at least 11 people in the latest outburst of violence to hit the country.

The deputy head of the municipal council in the city of Samarra says the blast went off around midday, during Friday prayers. The official, Mizhar Fleih, says at least eight people were wounded in the attack.

Samarra is a largely Sunni Muslim city that is home to a revered Shiite shrine. It is 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Iraqi capital.

Iraq is weathering its worst bout of violence in half a decade. The killing has risen significantly since April, with more than 4,000 killed since the start of that month.

[Associated Press; By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA]

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