At least 9 dead in suicide bombings at Baghdad Shia mosque: Police

At least nine people were killed on Thursday in a double suicide bombing targeting a mosque frequented by Shia worshippers in the northwest of the Iraqi capital, police said.

"Two suicide bombers wearing explosive belts blew themselves up in front of the Rasul al-Azam (mosque) in the Shuala district" of Baghdad, a police official said, adding that more than 20 people were wounded in the blasts.

The first bomber blew himself up among worshippers as they were leaving the mosque. A second explosion targeted police forces who had arrived to treat wounded people, which caused more fatalities, said the police official.

The blasts in the predominantly Shia neighbourhood came on the eve of a planned protest that Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has called for in Baghdad and said he would personally attend.

Sadr has called on his supporters to attend protests in the capital as well as other cities to demand an end to corruption and improved public services.

Large protests against corruption were held in Baghdad last summer, but Friday's demonstration is expected to be larger, with tens of thousands of Sadr's supporters taking part.