A series of bombs have gone off in the Iraqi city of Kerbala, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens of others.
The first bomb in a car was in the centre of the city at 9.30am on Sunday. The vehicle was outside a government office supplying identity cards and passports.
The BBC reports at least three other blasts occurred after the emergency services arrived at the scene.
Karbala is about 100km south of Baghdad. The shrine there is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.
In January at least 25 people were killed and almost 70 wounded by two car bomb attacks targeting Shia pilgrims.
There was also an attack on a bus earlier this month in which 22 Karbala Shia pilgrims were killed on their way to a shrine in Syria.
