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Suicide bomber kills Iraqi Sunnis | Suicide bomber kills Iraqi Sunnis |
(20 minutes later) | |
A suicide bomber has attacked a US-allied Sunni militia group in Iraq, killing at least nine people and wounding 31 others, police say. | A suicide bomber has attacked a US-allied Sunni militia group in Iraq, killing at least nine people and wounding 31 others, police say. |
The bomber struck as militiamen from a local Awakening council were waiting to collect their salaries at an army post in Iskandariya, south of Baghdad. | The bomber struck as militiamen from a local Awakening council were waiting to collect their salaries at an army post in Iskandariya, south of Baghdad. |
The US-sponsored Awakening councils have helped cut violence in Iraq after turning against al-Qaeda. | The US-sponsored Awakening councils have helped cut violence in Iraq after turning against al-Qaeda. |
But this has made them a target for militants, correspondents say. | |
The bomber in Iskandariya was wearing a belt of explosives, which he detonated after mingling with militiamen who had gathered to receive their monthly pay, security sources say. | |
The town, about 50km (30 miles) south of Baghdad, is located in an area that used to be known as the "Triangle of Death" because it was so troubled. | |
Concerns | |
Relations betwen the councils and Iraq's Shia-led government - which formally took control of the Awakening movement on 1 April - have worsened in recent weeks. | |
Last month the arrest of a leader of one of the councils in Baghdad sparked clashes between militiamen and government forces. | |
The past week has seen a number of attacks in Baghdad and Mosul to the north. | |
The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says the upsurge has raised concern, especially as US troops are preparing to withdraw in the coming months. | |
But the general picture is that the security situation remains much better than it was two years ago, our correspondent says. |