( CNN ) -- Nine people were killed and 25 injured Thursday in twin blasts in eastern Iraq , health officials said . The attacks took place in Wasit as thousands of worshipers jammed the streets to attend festivals marking Ashura , the most important holy day on the Shiite Muslim calendar . Ashura commemorates the death of Imam Hussein , grandson of the Prophet Mohammed . Both blasts targeted a procession tent . During Ashura , pilgrims often set up tents to distribute water and food to passersby . The tents also give fellow pilgrims a place to rest , mourn , chant and pray before they march to Karbala , the holy shrine of Imam Hussein . Wasit is about 100 miles ( 161 kilometers ) southeast of Baghdad . The explosions are the latest in a spate of attacks apparently targeting Shiite Muslims during this holy week . On Wednesday , four coordinated blasts killed 10 people in Baquba , police said . Those explosions targeted a series of Shiite processions . Imam Hussein 's death was one of the events that helped create the schism between Sunni and Shiite Islam , the two main Muslim religious movements . He was killed in Karbala during battle in 680 A.D .
The latest attacks took place on Ashura , the most important holy day on the Shiite calendar . At least six blasts have targeted Shiite Muslims in Iraq over the past two days . Dozens have been injured in those explosions .