A suicide car bomber killed 15 people, including 7 policemen, and wounded 20 in Iraq's volatile northern Diyala province today, police said.
Police said the bomber targeted a police checkpoint in the town of Jalawla, north of Baghdad, one of many in Diyala where al-Qaeda militants operate despite being driven out of other parts of Iraq.
Violence has fallen sharply across the country in recent months to some of its lowest levels since the 2003 US-led invasion, but insurgents have retained the ability to carry out bomb attacks.
Police and police recruits are a favourite target of insurgent groups such as al-Qaeda, who view them as collaborators with the US military.