Suicide bomber targets Iraq army recruits, kills 13

BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a minibus full of Iraqi army recruits in Baghdad on Monday, killing 13 people and wounding seven, police said.

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

Police sources said all the dead appeared to be recruits from Muthanna base in central Baghdad, which has been attacked by suicide bombers in the past. The men had boarded an ordinary public service minibus at a bus stop outside the complex.

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 US-backed elections.

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