Suicide car bombings kill 14 in Iraq

Two suicide car bombers blew themselves up today in separate attacks north of Baghdad, killing at least 14 and wounding about 18 others, police and hospital officials said.

The first suicide bomber, accompanied by another five cars loaded with heavily-armed insurgents, slammed into a wall outside the home of police Lt. Muthana al-Shaker – a member of a special forces unit – in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, said Lt. Qassim Mohammed of the Samarra police.

Nine civilians were killed and 16 were wounded in the attack on the street outside al-Shaker’s home. He was not injured, Mohammed said. At least six were killed in the initial explosion and the rest died later, hospital officials said.

Two insurgents were killed when a roadside bomb they were planting outside al-Shaker’s house after the attack blew up, he said. That bomb was intended to kill police and emergency services members when they arrived at the scene, Mohammed added.

The attack occurred at 4pm (1pm Irish Time) when six cars arrived on the street in front of al-Shaker’s house.

The five cars, whose occupants were armed with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, blocked the road and opened the way for the suicide attacker to barrel into the home.

In the second attack, a suicide attacker rammed his vehicle into an Iraqi police patrol on a bridge in south-west Mosul, killing at least five and wounding two, said US Army Capt. Mark Walter, a spokesman in the town, which is 225 miles north-west of Baghdad.

The second attack happened at 8:30pm (5.30pm Irish Time).