Iraq violence: Triple bombing kills Shia pilgrims

Eight people have been killed in a triple bombing targeting Shia pilgrims in Iraq on the eve of the religious festival of Ashura, officials say.

More than 20 others were wounded when devices were detonated simultaneously near a procession in Baquba.

Ashura, which this year falls on Thursday, commemorates the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein, at the Battle of Karbala in 680AD.

Shia religious events are frequently targeted by Sunni extremist militants.

Violence elsewhere in Iraq on Wednesday left 10 people dead, while police also killed three militants, officials told the AFP news agency.

Three civilians and three policemen died in a suicide bomb attack on a police checkpoint in Tikrit, they added.

Sectarian violence has surged across the country in recent months, reaching its highest level since 2008.

The UN says 979 people - including 158 police and 127 military personnel - were killed in violent attacks in October. More than 6,500 civilians have now died this year.

The unrest was sparked by an army raid on a Sunni Arab anti-government protest camp in April. The protesters were calling for the resignation of Shia Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and denouncing the authorities for allegedly targeting the minority Sunni community.

Iraq has also seen a spill-over of violence from the conflict in Syria, where jihadist rebels linked to the Islamic State of Iraq, a Sunni militant umbrella group that includes al-Qaeda, have risen to prominence.