Nine dead in suicide bomb attack on army base

According to Iraqi officials, at least nine soldiers have been killed by a suicide bomb attack on an army base in the town of Kanaan in the Diyala province. At least 14 others were injured in the attack when a car packed with explosives drove into the compound.

AFP news agency reported that an Iraqi security official said a truck filled with explosives was driven into an army compound destroying it in the process. Head of the security committee of the Diyala provincial council, Muthana Al-Timimi, gave the casualty figures as five dead and 10 wounded. He said the blast was caused by a large quantity of explosives placed near government buildings, including the army HQ. The exact number of victims is yet to be officially confirmed.

A rescue mission is searching for more survivors in the rubble, a witness at the scene told the media. Over the last couple of years, violence in Iraq has subsided but attacks on security forces remain an issue.

Sources: BBC News, Irish Times, AFP, The Guardian

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