The bomber on Thursday tried to enter Al-Zahraa mosque, where family members of victims from violence the day before were receiving condolences, but was prevented by police from doing so, and detonated an explosives-rigged belt near the entrance instead.

The blast also wounded 18 people, said the officer, who was present at the scene. A medical official confirmed that an attack had taken place, but did not give a toll.

Two car bombs and a roadside bomb killed 10 people and wounded 17 in Kirkuk on Wednesday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki on Thursday blamed "sectarian hatred" for a surge of violence in Iraq, after bombings killed dozens of people and wounded more than 80 others in the country.

"The bloodshed today is a result of sectarian hatred," Maliki said in televised remarks. "These crimes are a natural result of the sectarian mindset."