At least 40 people were killed and 40 others injured in twin suicide bombings in a Shiite mosque in northern Baghdad on Friday, Iraqi Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

"The Shiite mosque, named Buratha, locates in the al-Ataifya district in northern Baghdad," the source said.

"The two suicide bombers blew themselves up simultaneously at around 3:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) after the worshippers finished their Friday prayer and were about to leave the mosque," the source added.

Jalal Adin Al-Sajre, the mosque's leading cleric, was present when the blasts occurred, but escaped unhurt, according to local television report.

The mosque belongs to the Superior Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), which is the most powerful party inside Iraq's dominating Shiite United Iraq Alliance.

Source: Xinhua