Iraqi security forces have seized more than a dozen booby trapped dolls which had been part of an ISIS bomb plot against Shia pilgrims.

Security forces in Baghdad defused and destroyed 18 IEDs which had been hidden inside the hollow bodies of children's toys, before being dressed in doll clothes.

ISIS had planned on scattering the doll-bombs on the road between the Iraqi capital and Karbala, where millions of Shia Muslims are set to walk during the annual pilgrimage for Arbaeen next month.

Pure evil: Iraqi security forces in Baghdad with 18 IEDs which had been hidden inside the hollow bodies of children's toys, before being dressed in doll clothes

Arbaeen is a Shia religious observance that marks the end of the 40-day period of mourning after the anniversary of Imam Hussein's death, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

It is considered one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, with millions set to make the journey to Karbala over the upcoming weeks.

Last year, the number of pilgrims in the city of Karbala commemorating Arbaeen reached a record 17.5 million.

The booby-trapped bombs were discovered by the security forces in al-Husseiniya - a predominantly Shiite suburb in northeastern Baghdad, Kuwait News agency (KUNA) reported.

Targeting children: ISIS had planned on scattering the doll-bombs on the road between the Iraqi capital and Karbala, where millions of Shia Muslims are set to walk during the annual pilgrimage for Arbaeen next month

ISIS uncovered: The booby-trapped bombs were discovered by the security forces in al-Husseiniya - a predominantly Shiite suburb in northeastern Baghdad

Dolls destroyed: Security forced defused and destroyed the 18 children's toys turned IEDs

Earlier on Friday, at least 15 people died in several bomb attacks in Baghdad, including one at a mosque in the Iraqi capital's Nahiyet al-Rasheed neighborhood.

A roadside bomb blast went off on the street outside the mosque just as worshippers were finishing Friday prayers, police said.

Within minutes, a suicide bomber inside the mosque detonated an explosives vest. Ten people were killed and 28 were wounded in that coordinated attack, according to police.

Two separate roadside bombs exploded in commercial areas of southeast Baghdad, killing five people and wounding nine, security officials said.