AlQa'dah 14, 1434, Sep 20, 2013, SPA -- An Iraqi official said an explosion has struck inside a mosque north of Baghdad, killing at least 11 people in the latest outburst of violence to hit the country, news agencies reported. The deputy head of the municipal council in the city of Samarra said the blast went off around midday, during Friday prayers. The official, Mizhar Fleih, says at least eight people were wounded in the attack. Samarra is 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Iraqi capital. Iraq is weathering its worst bout of violence in half a decade. The killing has risen significantly since April, with more than 4,000 killed since the start of that month.
