At least eight people have been killed in a car bomb attack in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, officials have said. The blast reportedly shook the city's Kadhimiya district, where thousands of Shia Muslim pilgrims had gathered to mark a major religious festival. On Wednesday, a wave of attacks across the country targeted Shia pilgrims, killing at least 70 people. The Islamic State of Iraq, a Sunni militant umbrella group that includes al-Qaeda, said it was behind them. A statement posted on jihadist web forums on Saturday called the attacks the "blessed Wednesday invasion" and a "serious blow" to its enemies. It was the worst single day of violence in Iraq since the last US troops withdrew in December. Since then there has been a marked deterioration in the country's fragile political process. The most prominent Sunni Arab politician is currently being tried in absentia on terrorism charges. Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi denies financing death squads told to kill Shia government and security officials, according to BBC.
