At least 15 people were killed and 16 others wounded in a suicide attack on a wedding party in Iraq's central province of Karbala, a security source said on Monday.

The attack occurred on late Sunday night when a suicide bomber opened fire and threw hand grenades on a wedding party in Ayn-Tamur, a town some 120 km west of the provincial capital city of Karbala, and then detonated his explosive vest, a source from Furat al-Awsat Operations Command told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Four other militants wearing explosive vests opened fire on the crowd, but security forces at the scene shot them dead, preventing them from detonating their vests, the source said.

Town authorities have intensified security measures as reinforcement troops arrived from Karbala city, which is located some 110 km south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the source added.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the wedding attack, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group was blamed for most of similar attacks in the past that targetted areas where crowds of people gather, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq.

Iraq has witnessed intense violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014.

A report by UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) estimated that 759 Iraqis were killed and 1,207 others wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in July alone across Iraq.

Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups, such as the IS, on the U.S. that invaded and occupied Iraq in March 2003.

Source : XINHUA