Bomb kills 8 south of Baghdad - police

BAGHDAD, May 11 (Reuters) A truck bomb killed eight people and wounded 15 others near an Iraqi police checkpoint south of Baghdad today, police said.

Police said five policemen were among the dead. The blast went off near the Diyala bridge. Earlier, police said nine people had been killed.

US and Iraqi forces launched a security crackdown in Baghdad in February. US commanders say militants have sought to step up attacks on the capital's outskirts as thousands of troops pour into the city itself.

REUTERS AK HS2115