Iraq suicide bomber kills seven Sunni paramilitaries

A suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt, killing seven US-allied Sunni paramilitaries and wounding 22 others queueing for their salaries outside a military headquarters south of Baghdad today, police said.

The bomber mingled with a crowd of about 250 Awakening Council members outside the headquarters and blew himself up, police spokesman Major Muthana Khalid said.

The explosion took place around 11am in Jbala, about 35 miles south of Baghdad.

Salaries for the Sunni groups who turned against the al Qaida and other insurgents have been delayed and there has been concerns among the paramilitaries that the Shiite-led government could disband them.