WORLD> Middle East
Woman suicide bomber kills at least 15 in Baghdad
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-22 20:29

BAGHDAD - At least 15 people were killed and some 30 others were wounded when a woman suicide bomber struck Iraqi police in the city of Baquba on Sunday, local police source said.

A woman wearing an explosive vest blew herself up near police patrol outside the building of Diyala provincial government and a nearby courthouse, the source from Diyala police told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The source said that the casualties could rise as ambulances and private cars continued evacuating victims.

The attack in Baquba, capital of Diyala province, came as the U. S. and Iraqi security forces have been conducting major offensives against extremist Sunni and Shiite militiamen across the war-torn country.

Diyala province stretches from the eastern edges of Baghdad to the Iranian border in eastern the country. The province has long been stronghold for al-Qaida in Iraq network.