Suicide bomber kills 11 army recruits in Baghdad

Baghdad, Sep 11: A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a minibus full of Iraqi army recruits in Baghdad today, killing 11 and wounding three, police said.

Police said the bomber boarded the minibus outside an army recruiting centre in western Baghdad and detonated himself.

Recruitment centres for the Iraqi army and police, key elements of Washington's strategy for pulling out its own troops, have been frequent targets for insurgents from the Sunni Arab minority, including al Qaeda Islamists, who oppose the rise of the Shi'ite Muslim majority in U S-backed elections.

Last week, the U S military handed over operational command of the Iraqi army to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Reuters