Blast Destroys Shia Shrine

A bomb attack destroyed the golden dome of one of Iraq’s holiest Shia shrines today, sparking demonstrations and calls for revenge amongst the protestors.

There were no confirmed casualties in the explosion, which took place at 6.55am (0355 GMT) at the al-Askari shrine in Samarra, north of Baghdad. Early reports had quoted police saying they feared people may have been be buried under the debris.

Iraq’s national security adviser, Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, said two armed men wearing Special Forces uniforms broke into the shrine, overcame the guards and set off explosives.

The shine - one of the four holiest Shia sites in Iraq - was extensively damaged the mosque’s golden dome destroyed.

Mr. al-Rubaie blamed Sunni militants for the bombing but insisted they would not draw Iraq into a civil war. He appealed for calm.

Up to 2,000 protestors in Najaf called on Shias to "rise up" and "take revenge" for the attack on the shrine, which contains the tombs of two Shia imams reputed to be descendants of the prophet Muhammad. It is part of the Imam Ali al-Hadi mausoleum.

"This criminal act aims at igniting civil strife," said Mahmoud al-Samarie, a 28-year-old builder. "We demand an investigation so that the criminals who did this be punished. If the government fails to do so, then we will take arm and chase the people behind this attack."

The Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, declared three days of mourning and appealed for unity. He called the apparently sectarian attack an assault on all Muslims.

US and Iraqi forces surrounded the scene of the explosions and began searching houses in the area. A spokesman for the US military described the damage as "catastrophic".

Tradition says the shrine, which draws pilgrims from throughout the Islamic world, is near the place where the last of the 12 Shia imams, Mohammed al-Mahdi, disappeared. Al-Mahdi, known as the "hidden imam", was the descendant of the 10th and 11th imams, who are buried at al-Askari. Shias believe al-Mahdi is still alive and will return to restore justice to humanity.

Five police officers responsible for protecting the mosque were taken into custody.

Samarra is a mainly Sunni city, 60 miles north of Baghdad. It has been a major staging post for the Sunni insurgency against the US-led military presence in the country and the Shia-led government.

Tensions are running high in Iraq and sectarian violence is on the rise as leaders attempt to form a unity government following elections for the country’s first full-term parliament in December.

They have until mid-May to form a new government, but talks have stalled.

The attack on the al-Askari shrine came the day after a visit to Iraq by the Jack Straw, who urged leaders to form a government not dominated by any ethnic or religious group.

It is the third major attack in as many days. Yesterday 21 people were killed and dozens injured when a car bomb exploded in a busy market in Baghdad. A series of bombings killed 26 people on Monday.