Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of Shiite pilgrims streaming towards the holy city of Karbala in Iraq on Tuesday.
At least 93 people were killed in one of several attacks targeting the faithful ahead of a weekend holiday.
The co-ordinated attack happened on a main street in Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, said Capt. Muthana Khalid.
He said 93 people were killed and 164 wounded.
Two men wearing explosives belts mingled among pilgrims lining up to be searched at a checkpoint before a bridge, then blew themselves up, said Brig Gen Othman al-Ghanemi, the regional police commander.
"This attack has created a chaotic situation and people are very angry. Many innocent people died who only wanted to practice their religious beliefs," he said.
At least 24 Iraqis were killed in other violence on Tuesday, including eight Shiite pilgrims killed in the south Baghdad neighbourhood of Dora when gunmen fired a number of shots into a minibus they were travelling in.
In past years, Shiite militiamen "played a role in protecting the pilgrims and the attacks were fewer and less effective, but this year things are different," said Bahaa al-Araji, a Shiite parliament member.
"The government bears some responsibility for this because it has not provided enough security forces to protect the pilgrims," al-Araji said. "This indicates some shortcomings in the Baghdad security plan."
Meanwhile, Iraqi army units were preparing to deploy along major routes to ensure pilgrims' safety, according to a Defence Ministry statement. "The Defence Ministry hopes that the citizens will continue the rituals of the pilgrimage safely under efficient security protection," the statement said.
