By Xinhua
Baghdad : At least 16 people were killed and up to 70 others injured Tuesday when a suicide car bomb struck a busy market in the town of Kufa, 160 km south of Baghdad, local police said.
"Our latest report said that at least 16 people were killed and some 70 others injured in the suicide car bombing in the commercial Jesr Street in Kufa, 10 km northeast of Najaf," police said.
Earlier, police put the toll at ten people killed and 25 wounded.
A suicide bomber driving an explosive-laden vehicle at about 10:15 a.m. at the crowded commercial street where dozens of shops and open market located, police said.
Women and children were among the killed and wounded victims, he said, adding the blast damaged several nearby shops and civilian cars.
In a separate incident, a suicide bomber wearing an explosive-belt blew himself up near the police station of Jalwla'a town, 150 km north east of Baghdad, killing two policemen, a police source from Diyala province said.
The blast also wounded 22 others, said the source.
The police station is adjacent to the town's government bank, where dozens of retired government employees were queuing up for their pension while the incident happened.