Police said the bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint at a busy market, packed with pilgrims and shoppers, near the Imam Ali Shrine.
Police officers and civilians were among the dead.
Reports say there were two separate attacks.
The Shi'ite Endowment, which takes care of Shi'ite shrines in Iraq, urged people not to be incited by "this terrorist and criminal attack."
Al-Najaf, some 160 kilometers south of Baghdad, is a major pilgrimage destination for Shi'a around the world.
THE COMPLETE STORY: RFE/RL's complete coverage of events in Iraq and that country's ongoing transition.
Police officers and civilians were among the dead.
Reports say there were two separate attacks.
The Shi'ite Endowment, which takes care of Shi'ite shrines in Iraq, urged people not to be incited by "this terrorist and criminal attack."
Al-Najaf, some 160 kilometers south of Baghdad, is a major pilgrimage destination for Shi'a around the world.
(AP, AFP, Reuters)
Iraq In Transition
Iraq In Transition
THE COMPLETE STORY: RFE/RL's complete coverage of events in Iraq and that country's ongoing transition.
