(AP) Iraqi officials say a double bombing near a Shiite mosque in Baghdad has killed five people, including four worshippers.

Police say that the bombs went off outside the al-Sadrein mosque and at a nearby police checkpoint as Friday noon prayers ended in the mostly Shiite neighborhood of Zafaraniyah in southeastern Baghdad.

They say at least 26 worshippers were wounded.

A medical official in a nearby hospital confirms the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.

Violence has dropped in Iraq since the height of the insurgency a few years ago but militants still launch deadly attacks against security forces and Shiites in an attempt to undermine the Shiite-led government.

Associated Press
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