Car bomb attack west of Baghdad kills at least 20 people

A car bomb exploded Sunday morning at 8:40 a.m. (local time) at a police station in a town west of Baghdad, killing at least 20 persons, witnesses and the U.S. military said.  

The attack in Khaldiyah, about 80 kilometers west of Baghdad, took place near the main police station, witnesses said, The AP reported.  

Some 20 people were also wounded in the explosion, said a U.S. officer at the scene. U.S. soldiers immediately blocked off the area, and two helicopters were seen hovering overhead.  

There were no U.S. soldiers in the area when the bomb exploded, an officer who asked not to be named, said. 

A suicide bomber apparently carried out the attack, U.S. army Lt. Col. Jeff Swisher said.  

An emergency room administrator at a hospital in the nearby city of Ramadi said many of the victims were police officers. (Albawaba.com)