A suicide bomber attacked a funeral for a member of Iraq's shabak minority in Nineveh on Saturday, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens, according to Reuters.
It is not clear who carried out the attack, but Sunni Islamist militants have targeted Shabaks -- who are mostly Shi'ite -- in the past. The war in Syria, which has been pinning Sunni rebels against a leader backed by Shi'ite Iran, has seemingly transfused into Iraq.
"I was attending the funeral sitting with the women when we heard a huge explosion," said Umm Mohammed, who attended the funeral in Bartella, 15 miles east of the province's capital, Mosul.
"When we went out, we found some men either killed or injured," she said.
Police said said the bomber entered the memorial service with an explosive belt. In addition to the 21 deaths, 13 people were injured.
Mourners were attending the funeral for a man who passed away of natural causes.
The violence in Iraq between different religious sects is on the verge of meeting the dangerous levels of violence that resulted around the time of the U.S.-led invasion in 2006-07. Sunni Islamist militants view Shi'ites as non-believers and have been consistent with instilling fear of violence through attacks within the region.
The United Nations reported that 800 Iraqis were killed in acts of violence this August. However, the recent number isn't even half of it's most extreme death toll which at one point reached 3,000.
Al Jazeera reported that 4,000 people have been killed this year so far.
On Friday, 30 people died after blasts struck a mosque in the city of Baquba. Authorities said the bomb was placed inside an air condition unit.
