HILLAH, Iraq: Maraje’, Ayaat, and leaders have condemned a suicide bomb attack on a husseiniyah in Hillah, south of Baghdad, packed with worshipers on the first day of Ramadan on Wednesday evening in which at least 36 people were martyred and nearly 100 wounded.

There were conflicting reports about whether the bomber was in a car or on foot, but several witnesses said a man walked into the Ibn Nama Hilli husseiniyah carrying explosives around his chest and in a bag.

The explosion shot fire through the husseiniyah walls and sent bodies and limbs flying into the street, where flags had been hung to celebrate Ramadan during which observant believers fast from dawn to dusk. The wail of ambulances rang in the streets for more than an hour as medics tried to evacuate the wounded.

In Holy Najaf, a bomb killed a child and injured four people shortly after midnight. Last Thursday, Balad suffered a string of bombings that left at least 110 people dead.

Both US President Bush in Washington and US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad sent Ramadan greetings to Iraqis on Wednesday before the bombing.

"During Ramadan, as always, our thoughts are with the Iraqi people and our common desire for peace," Khalilzad said in a statement. "I wish the people of Iraq a peaceful, secure and prosperous Ramadan."