Iraq

Suicide bomber kills at least 25 people at a funeral in Iraq

Article published on the 2009-03-23 Latest update 2009-03-24 09:34 TU

Diyala is one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq.
(Photo: AFP)

A suicide bomber in Iraq killed at least 25 people and wounded another 50 at a Kurdish funeral north-east of Baghdad on Monday. The attack took place in town of Jalawla, about 130 kilometres from Baghdad, in the dangerous province of Diyala.

Jalawla is home to a mixed population of Shia-Muslim Kurds and Sunni Arabs, many of whom are said to have ties to Al-Qaeda.

The bomber was wearing an explosives belt and struck as a local family was receiving condolences, Mohammed Osman, a local official in Khanaqin north of Jalawla, told AFP.

Earlier on Monday, a bomb exploded near Abu Ghraib killing eight people and wounding 16 others, security officials said.

More than 17,000 Iraqis were killed in 2007 compared to 6,772 last year. The casualty toll for the past three months has been the lowest for a quarter year period since the US-led invasion of March 2003.

Violence has lowered in intensity since the end of 2007 with the US military stepping up anti-insurgency operations and Iraqi security forces being strengthened, but deadly attacks still take place on an almost daily basis.