At Least 41 People Killed By Suicide Bombing and Twin Bomb Blasts in Iraq

Shiites targeted

BAGHDAD — A suicide attacker and twin bomb blast Thursday targeted Shiites marking a somber religious ritual in Iraq, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 100, officials said.

The ritual, known as Ashoura, is observed every year over a 10-day period and has in the past been marred by massive attacks by Al Qaeda and other Sunni extremists who see Shiites as heretics. This year, the attacks come amid an escalating campaign of violence by insurgents seeking to thwart the Shiite-led government's efforts to maintain security.