By Xinhua,
Baghdad : The death toll from a female suicide bomb attack in Diyala province on Wednesday rose to nine and 17 others were injured, a provincial police source said.
“Our latest reports said that nine people were killed and 17 others injured by the suicide bombing attack in Baquba, the capital of Diyala province,” the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
A female suicide bomber wearing an explosive-belt blew herself up among a crowd of people at the entrance of the city court before midday, the source said.
Among the deaths were five Iraqi army soldiers, including two officers, the source added.
Earlier, the source put the toll at six killed and 18 wounded.
The powerful blast also destroyed several nearby civilian cars and buildings in the city, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, he said.
Iraqi security forces rushed to the scene and sealed off the area, the source said.
Initial police reports blame the al-Qaida in Iraq network for the attack, he said.
In a separate incident, a joint U.S. and Iraqi security force killed in early Wednesday morning a suspected al-Qaida militant, who was wearing an explosive-vest, the source said.
The troops also detained six other al-Qaida suspects, including two local leaders, in an operation near Buhruz area, some 10 km south of Baquba, the source added.
Diyala province, which stretches from the eastern edges of Baghdad to the Iranian border, has long been stronghold for al-Qaida in Iraq network.
U.S. and Iraqi security forces have been conducting major offensives against extremist Sunni and Shiite militiamen in the province and some other provinces.