16 Dead in Iraq Suicide Bombing

12/25/2007

BAGHDAD (AP) - A suicide bomber in a pickup truck detonated his explosives Tuesday outside a residential complex in northern Iraq, killing 16 people and wounding 25, police and hospital officials said. At least three children were among the dead.

The explosion occurred as Iraqi police and members of a volunteer force prevented the bomber from entering the gate of the compound belonging to the state-run North Oil Company in Beiji, about 155 miles north of Baghdad, a police officer said.

Of those killed, three were members of the volunteer force, four were guards of the oil company and the other nine were civilians, including three children, the police officer said. He added that some of the residential buildings were damaged in the blast.

An official at the main hospital in Beiji gave the same casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information to the media.

Volunteer forces known as Awakening Councils - groups of Sunni Arab fighters who have turned against al-Qaida and are now funded by the U.S. - have been credited with helping reduce violence in Iraq in recent months.

Although bombings and other attacks continue throughout the country, their number has fallen.