At least two Sunni Muslim mosques have been attacked in Iraq in apparent retaliation for the execution of a senior Shi'ite cleric in Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, officials and police say.
The interior ministry in Baghdad confirmed the attacks late on Sunday in Hilla, around 100 km south of Baghdad. It didn't confirm reports that at least one person was killed.
Iraq has faced sectarian bloodletting for years, mainly between the Sunni minority and Shi'ite majority that was empowered after the US-led invasion in 2003.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the provincial authorities "to chase the criminal gangs" who attacked the mosques. He blamed the attacks on "Daesh and those who are similar to them," according to a statement that refers to Islamic State by one of its Arabic acronyms.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia executed prominent cleric Nimr al-Nimr, triggering angry reactions in Shi'ite ruled Iraq and Iran. The government in Riyadh cut ties on Sunday with Tehran after protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic representations in Iran.
The attack on the Ammar bin Yasir mosque in the northern outskirts of Hilla destroyed its dome and several walls, according to a Reuters TV cameraman who visited the site.
The second attack on the al-Fath al-Mubeen mosque in central Hilla was reported by a provincial council member and a police source who said a guard inside the building was killed.
An Iraqi official blamed Islamic State for the bombing of the mosques, saying the militant group wanted to stoke sectarian tensions.
Provincial security official Falah al-Khafaji told The Associated Press he doesn't believe the explosions were linked to the escalating Saudi-Iran spat over the kingdom's execution of al-Nimr.
Al-Khafaji says IS "did this to inflame sectarian strife in the country, starting in Hilla."
He says authorities are beefing up security around the two targeted mosques and other Sunni mosques in the city.
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