Bombings Kill 13 at Iraq Shiite Mosques

Bombings at two Shiite mosques south of Baghdad killed 13 people on Monday, police and a doctor said, the latest in a string of attacks targeting both Sunni and Shiite places of worship in Iraq.

One bomb exploded inside Al-Wardiyah mosque in the city of Hilla, while a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged belt at Al-Graita mosque nearby, the sources said.

Both blasts, which also wounded another 71 people, occurred during evening prayers.

The United States condemned the bombing of two Shiite mosques in Iraq, appealing for calm amid a mounting wave of sectarian attacks.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said "we strongly condemn" the latest attacks, which left 13 people dead in a Shiite area south of Baghdad.

Dozens of Sunni and Shiite mosques have been targets of such attacks in Iraq this year.

In one of the deadliest attacks, two bombs exploded near the Sunni Saria mosque in Baquba, north of Baghdad, after prayers on Friday.

One device blew up as worshipers were leaving, and the second went off after people gathered at the scene of the first blast, killing a total of 41 people.

Those bombings came after a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged belt on Thursday at the entrance to Al-Zahraa husseiniyah, killing 12 people.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for joint Shiite-Sunni prayers on Fridays in a major Baghdad mosque.

"Those who target mosques are enemies of Sunnis and Shiites alike, and are planning to ignite (sectarian) strife," he said in a statement and on Monday he said he will overhaul Iraq's security strategy.

Tensions are festering between the government of Maliki, a Shiite, and Sunnis who accuse authorities of marginalizing and targeting their community through wrongful detentions and accusations of involvement in terrorism.

Protests broke out in Sunni areas of Iraq almost five months ago.

While the government has made some concessions, freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-al-Qaida fighters, the underlying issues have not been addressed.