At least 33 people were killed and up to 55 wounded on Wednesday by a car bomb near a Shia place of worship in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

The car bomb detonated as worshippers were leaving the mosque after evening prayers. As onlookers rushed to help the wounded, a suicide bomber blew himself up.

Policemen saw a second man fumbling to detonate an explosive belt and managed to stop him. An angry mob then stabbed the would-be bomber to death.

Violence is at its highest level since 2008, with about 800 Iraqis killed in August.