BAGHDAD, Feb 23: United Nations envoy to Iraq Ashraf Qazi invited Iraqi political and religious leaders on Thursday to meet and try to overcome spiralling sectarian tensions that have raised the risk of civil war after the bombing of a shrine.

“I have invited political, religious and civil leaders to discuss confidence-building measures to ensure the situation remains under control,” Mr Qazi told Reuters.

The diplomat said he was optimistic Iraq could avert a civil war despite escalating violence, saying Iraqi leaders had assured him that they were doing everything in their power to ease tensions.

“The leadership met at the president’s residence. All are actively concerned with calming the situation down.”

The UN envoy called on political leaders to urge Iraqis to show restraint when provoked. “There are those who want to pit one section of the people against another,” he said, adding: “We want the Iraqi leadership to call on their people to act with restraint in the face of provocation.”

Meanwhile, Iraq’s main Sunni alliance, the National Concord Front, announced that it was boycotting talks on setting up a government of national unity with Shias following attacks on mosques and killings around the country.

In a message to President Jalal Talabani, leaders of the alliance called on the government to clearly condemn attacks on their community and deploy security forces to protect it.

The alliance also boycotted an emergency meeting called by Mr Talabani to discuss the growing sectarian violence.

EU CONDEMNS: Meanwhile, more countries have condemned the bombing. In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana condemned on Thursday the bombing of a holy Shia shrine in Iraq and a spate of revenge attacks that following it.