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Female bomber strikes Iraqi town | Female bomber strikes Iraqi town |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A female suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives has killed 16 people in a town near Baghdad. | A female suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives has killed 16 people in a town near Baghdad. |
At least 20 people were wounded in the blast at 0930 local time (0630 GMT) in Muqdadiya, which is 90km (55 miles) north-east of Iraq's capital. | At least 20 people were wounded in the blast at 0930 local time (0630 GMT) in Muqdadiya, which is 90km (55 miles) north-east of Iraq's capital. |
The bomber struck at the office of a local Sunni Arab anti-al-Qaeda militia, killing 10 members of the group. | The bomber struck at the office of a local Sunni Arab anti-al-Qaeda militia, killing 10 members of the group. |
Police say she was a local woman who was once a member of executed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. | Police say she was a local woman who was once a member of executed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. |
She was targeting one of the so-called Awakening Councils, militias that have backed US forces and the Iraqi government in their efforts to reclaim Iraqi provinces from al-Qaeda. | She was targeting one of the so-called Awakening Councils, militias that have backed US forces and the Iraqi government in their efforts to reclaim Iraqi provinces from al-Qaeda. |
Fragile security | Fragile security |
A female suicide bomber previously struck at Muqdadiya in April this year, walking into a crowd at a police recruitment centre and killing more than a dozen people. | A female suicide bomber previously struck at Muqdadiya in April this year, walking into a crowd at a police recruitment centre and killing more than a dozen people. |
The BBC's Crispin Thorold in Baghdad says Diyala has been the focus of some of the fiercest clashes in Iraq in recent months. | The BBC's Crispin Thorold in Baghdad says Diyala has been the focus of some of the fiercest clashes in Iraq in recent months. |
Insurgents displaced from their former strongholds in Anbar province and parts of Baghdad are now thought to be in Diyala, says our correspondent. | Insurgents displaced from their former strongholds in Anbar province and parts of Baghdad are now thought to be in Diyala, says our correspondent. |
Recent months have seen a sharp and sustained drop in all forms of violence in most parts of Iraq, analysts say. | Recent months have seen a sharp and sustained drop in all forms of violence in most parts of Iraq, analysts say. |
The US troop surge of 30,000 extra troops in and around Baghdad, which started in February, has been credited with this. | The US troop surge of 30,000 extra troops in and around Baghdad, which started in February, has been credited with this. |
But senior US commanders in Iraq have warned recent gains could be fragile. | But senior US commanders in Iraq have warned recent gains could be fragile. |
Detentions | |
Also on Friday, the US military in Iraq said 55 suspected militants have been detained in two raids targeting the al-Qaeda in Iraq network north of Baghdad. | |
It said 47 people were held in a raid by Iraqi forces on the village of al-Aswad on Thursday. Two bombs were found during a search of the village. | |
A further eight suspects were detained by US and Iraqi forces near Balad. The raid targeted an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leader, who was killed in the operation. | |
In Baghdad, US troops have detained nine people suspected of links with al-Qaeda in Iraq. |