Mosque blast kills nine

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt among worshippers at evening prayers last night in Fallujah, killing nine people.

Among the dead was the mosque preacher who had been an outspoken opponent of al-Qaida, police said.

Police said 10 people were wounded in the attack at the Raqeeb mosque in the northern part of the city.

The main target was believed to be the preacher Abdul Sattar al-Jumaili, whose two sons were also killed.

Al-Jumaili had returned to Fallujah from Syria the day before.

Police said he often visited Syria because he was on an al-Qaida death list.