Baghdad, July 31 (DPA) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Friday condemned the bombings of Iraqi mosques that killed at least 30 people, calling them attempts to undermine the country's emerging stability.

'Attacks against places of worship cannot be justified by any political or religious cause,' Ban's spokesperson said in a statement. 'These attacks appear to be aimed at provoking sectarian strife and undermining stability in Iraq.'

The attacks targeted five Shia mosques in Baghdad, most of them connected to Shia Muslims led by 'imams of the Sadrist Movement' who are loyal to Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, an official security source told the Voices of Iraq news agency.

Ban appealed to the people of Iraq 'to remain steadfast' in trying to resolve differences through dialogue with the goal of national reconciliation.