Suicide bomb attack near shrine in Iraq

Najaf (Iraq): Dozens of people were hurt and some were feared killed on Thursday in a suicide bomb blast in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf, police said.

Police sources said the attack took place in a large market near the Imam Ali shrine, one of the most sacred Shi'ite sites in the country.

Najaf, a predominately Shi'ite city 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, has been the scene of some of the most savage sectarian attacks since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It is a prime destination for Shi'ite pilgrims from around the world.