Twin explosions kill 8, scores wounded

At least eight people have been killed and scores injured after twin bombings hit a town south of Baghdad during a Shia religious procession.

Despite heightened security in line with the peak of Ashoura commemoration rituals, two near-simultaneous explosions targeting a Shia religious procession tent rocked south Baghdad.

The Ashoura commemoration rituals have been commemorating the death of Imam al-Hussein, a key figure in Shia Islam who was killed by Sunni Muslims back in 680AD. His death has symbolised the split between Sunni and Shia Muslims ever since.

The attacks struck in the town of Hafriyah, in Wasit province, south of Baghdad, on Thursday.

Security measures have been stepped up in Iraq, with more than 35,000 soldiers and policemen currently deployed to Karbala, about 100km south of Baghdad, and surrounding areas, with security perimeters barring vehicles from entering the city while helicopters hover overhead.

Regional authorities expect two million pilgrims, including 200,000 from outside Iraq.

The violence against Shias is the latest in Iraq's worst unrest since 2008 and forced Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to appeal to the US for help in the form of intelligence sharing and the delivery of new weapons systems in an effort to deal with the unrest.