Car bombing kills 27 at Iraq army base

At least 27 people have been killed by a car bomb that exploded at the entrance to an Iraqi army base near Baghdad, police and medics say.

More than 50 others were wounded by the blast, which occurred at 12:00 (09:00 GMT) at the facility in Taji, about 25km (15 miles) north of the capital.

One report said potential new recruits gathered outside were the target.

Although violence has decreased in Iraq since its peak in 2006 and 2007, insurgent attacks are still frequent.

On Monday, two car bombings killed at least four people and wounded 16 others around Baghdad.

The first took place at a market in the mainly Shia district of al-Ubaidi, while the second struck an army patrol in Taji, wounding several soldiers.

It is not clear how many of the victims of Tuesday’s blast were soldiers. One report said as many as 19 were among the dead.

The explosion appears to have occurred as they left the base at lunchtime. But sources told the AFP news agency there had also been a recruitment event on Tuesday to welcome potential new soldiers. Such events have been targeted by militants in the past.

The incident is believed to be the deadliest single attack in Iraq since 24 July, when a series of co-ordinated blasts – also in Taji – killed 42 people.

BBC