15 Shiite mourners killed in Iraq suicide bombing
BAGHDAD In another bloody attack in Iraq, a man wearing an explosives belt detonated it amid a group of Shiite mourners at a funeral in Diyala Province on Monday, killing at least 15 people.
The attack, in the city of Baqouba, wounded at least 40 people and is being described as an Al-Qaida attempt to reignite sectarian violence.
The suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt in a funeral tent packed with mourners for a Shiite tribal leader.
The attack came after days of strikes against mostly Shiite targets. The Sunni insurgent group Al Qaeda in Iraq is believed to be behind the violence. It was another example of insurgents slipping in despite security measures to curb the attacks.
Sectarian violence has continued in Iraq ever since U.S. forces left the country six months ago.
A senior military official the commander of the army's ground forces, Lt. Gen. Ali Ghaidan was among the mourners when the suicide bomber exploded himself. Ghaidan was not harmed, but one of his bodyguards died in the blast and two others were wounded.
The explosion could be heard as far as two kilometers away, said officials.
Diyala Province, sandwiched between Baghdad and Iran, is divided among Sunnis, Shias and Kurds and has been a sectarian flashpoint for years.
Source: Middle East News.net
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