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A female suicide bomber detonated explosives on Sunday that was carrying strapped to his body in the middle of a group of pilgrims at a Shiite shrine in northern Baghdad, killing at least 38 people and wounding 72, Iraqi army said.


According to the Iraqi army, the attacker was immolated within walking distance of the mosque of Imam Musa al-Kazim, one of the largest Shiite Islam saints. Among the victims would have several Iranian pilgrims.


Authorities fear the death toll will increase. The sources asked not to be identified, because they are not authorized to give information to the media.

Sunday's attack occurs while the Shiites are prepared on Wednesday to celebrate the Ashura, one of the most important dates in Islam that marks the death of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussein.


The army spokesman's office in Iraq, General Qassim al-Moussawi, said a woman wearing a vest with explosives was responsible for the attack, which occurred shortly before noon on Sunday in the Shiite population of Kazimiyah, north of Baghdad .

The army and police in Iraq have deployed thousands of troops to protect parishioners during the Ashura.


Most of the pilgrims are directed to the holy city of Karbala, south of Baghdad. In the city are the mosques with golden domes of Imam Hussein and his half brother, Imam Abbas.

Hundreds of thousands of people usually go on annual pilgrimage to Karbala. This year is expected to attend a similar gathering on Tuesday and Wednesday to Karbala for the climax of the pilgrimage.


Although the suicide attack appeared to have been launched by the Sunni terrorist group al-Qaida in Iraq, which has killed hundreds of pilgrims of Ashura in recent years, other extremist Islamic groups have also used the celebrations to carry out bloody attacks.

In 2004, a series of attacks with mortars and explosives in Baghdad and Karbala killed almost 200 pilgrims and injuring over 500.