Suicide bomber kills 28 in strike on Iraq recruits
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
BAGHDAD, Aug 26 (Reuters): A suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest blew himself up in a crowd of Iraqi police recruits Tuesday, killing 28 people and wounding 45, police said.
Initial reports had earlier described the attack, in the town of Jalawla in northern Diyala province, as a suicide car bomb attack at a security force checkpoint.
A police source said the bomber struck a large crowd of recruits lining up to apply to join the police. Recruitment stations have been frequent targets of militants in the past.
The ethnically and religiously mixed province north of Baghdad has emerged as the most violent part of Iraq, as the rest of the country has become more stable over the past year.
The northern part of the province is also home to a sizeable Kurdish population, and Kurdish Peshmerga security forces have reached a deal with the central government in Baghdad to withdraw.
Initial reports had earlier described the attack, in the town of Jalawla in northern Diyala province, as a suicide car bomb attack at a security force checkpoint.
A police source said the bomber struck a large crowd of recruits lining up to apply to join the police. Recruitment stations have been frequent targets of militants in the past.
The ethnically and religiously mixed province north of Baghdad has emerged as the most violent part of Iraq, as the rest of the country has become more stable over the past year.
The northern part of the province is also home to a sizeable Kurdish population, and Kurdish Peshmerga security forces have reached a deal with the central government in Baghdad to withdraw.