A suicide bomber attacked a reconciliation meeting of Shiite and Sunni tribal leaders and senior provincial officials in Baqouba on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including the city's police chief, security officials said.
According to the AP, a witness said most of the people killed or wounded were in the mosque yard washing their hands or drinking tea after taking a break from the meeting for the iftar banquet.
The attacker activated his explosives vest about 8:30 p.m. as guards searched him at the entrance to a Shiite mosque as many meeting participants were waiting to get back into the building. Baqouba's police chief Brig. Gen. Ali Dalyan and the Diyala provincial operations chief Brig. Gen. Najib al-Taie were near the bomber and were among the 20 killed, according to the security and health officials.
The officials added 28 people were hurt, including several other senior provincial leaders.
Elsewhere, a U.S. soldier was killed Monday by gunfire north of Baghdad, the military said. The military said the Task Force Lightning soldier died of wounds sustained in an attack in Salahuddin province.
