Multiple suicide bombers attack Shia shrine in Balad, north of Baghdad, dozens killed and wounded

Violence in Iraq continues following Sunday's devastating car bombs

The scene of an earlier terrorist attack on a cafe in the Shia city of Balad (Reuters)

Several suicide bombers and gunmen have attacked a Shia shrine north of Baghdad, killing at least 26 people and wounding more than 50, officials said.

The attacks began late on Thursday night when one bomber blew himself up near police officers who were guarding the gate to the Sayyid Mohammed shrine in Balad.

Another bomber then went inside the shrine as gunmen opened fire on the security personnel in the area.

A third bomber was killed during the fighting, police said.

People had been gathering to mark Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

There was no claim of responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of Isis or another similar extreme Islamist group.

The attack came after two car bombs in Baghdad on Sunday killed nearly 300 people.

The death toll has been rising since the attacks in the Karrada district and was put at 292, according to Press TV.

In May, 13 Real Madrid fans who had gathered in a sports cafe in Balad were killed by Isis militants.

One fan said that Isis fighters "don't like football, they think it's anti-Muslim".

The Associated Press contributed to this report