Iraq: Suicide bomber kills 12 in Baquba

A suicide bomber driving an ambulance vehicle has killed 12 people and injured at least 50 in an attack on an Iraqi police training centre in Baquba located in the Diyala province. The latest attack follows a similar bombing at a police recruitment centre in Tikrit, which killed more than 50 people.

A police spokesman, Maj Ghalib al-Karkhi, said the ambulance was driven by a suicide attacker and crashed into the headquarters' main gate in the city of Baquba. It is believed that the bomb blast collapsed a building on the headquarters' grounds, and more bodies are expected to be uncovered from the ruin in due course. Most of those killed in the attack were police officers.

Reports have emerged that the suicide bomber gained access to the city's special security police centre by opening fire on the guards, before driving the vehicle into the compound and setting off the bomb.

In a separate attack, another suicide bomber targeted Shia pilgrims travelling from Baghdad to the holy city of Karbala, killing at least two people and injuring 15. Overall violence in Iraq has subsided, but the latest surge in attacks indicates that it may take time to stamp it out altogether.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, AFP, AP

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