Car bomb hits Iraqi base
November 6, 2012
No group immediately took responsibility for Tuesday's blast, which appeared to target the country's security forces. The car bomb in the town of Taji, some 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) north of the capital, detonated next to an army base where potential new recruits had amassed for an induction day.
Initial figures on those killed and wounded were inconsistent, but an interior ministry official told the AFP news agency that 26 people were killed and around 30 more injured in the blast. Most of the dead appeared to be soldiers.
Although violence in Iraq has sharply lowered nationwide since its peak in 2006 and 2007, insurgents frequently target the country's security forces.
The car bomb was the second such blast in Taji this week, with another explosion wounding seven people on Monday.
msh/mz (AFP, AP, dpa)