Iraq suicide bombing kills 23

Updated 11.16 Tue Jul 15 2008

Keywords: north of Baghdad, Iraqi Army, suicide bomb, recruitment centre

Two suicide bombers have killed 23 people and wounded 68 at a recruitment centre for the Iraqi army north of Baghdad, an Iraqi security source has said

It comes just days after the government promised a crackdown in the area.

16 recruits were killed and 30 wounded when the bombers blew themselves up in a queue outside a security base in Baquba - The U.S. military

The security source said most of those killed were recruits.

The US military said 16 recruits were killed and 30 wounded when the bombers blew themselves up in a queue outside a security base in Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad.

The attack follows a string of bombings in recent months in Diyala province, of which Baquba is the capital.

Overall attacks across Iraq were down 85 percent in June 2008 than in 2007, the Iraqi military has said.