A suicide bomber killed 37 people, including two state television employees, at a checkpoint near Baghdad yesterday, after Iraq's premier accused Riyadh and Doha of fuelling bloodshed in the country.
Iraq has been hit by a year-long surge in violence that has reached levels not seen since 2008, driven principally by widespread discontent among its Sunni Arab minority and by the civil war in neighbouring Syria.
Analysts and diplomats have urged Iraq's Shia-led authorities to reach out to disaffected Sunnis but with elections due next month, political leaders have not wanted to be seen to compromise and have instead pursued a hard line against militants.
The suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged minibus during morning rush hour at a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Hilla.
The attack killed 37 people and left 120 others wounded, a provincial councillor, police and a doctor said.
"Some of the victims were burned inside their cars," a police officer said.
Militants carry out frequent attacks on security forces, and also target areas where crowds of people gather. The checkpoint combined the two.
In an interview broadcast on Saturday, Maliki accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of backing militant groups in Iraq and said they have effectively declared war on the country. He also condemned "the dangerous Saudi stance" of supporting "terrorism in the world" the Arab world.
Violence has killed more than 130 people so far this month and over 1,850 since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.