At least 24 killed in Iraq attacks

Published May 14th, 2008 - 06:56 GMT

At least 22 people were killed and 35 others wounded in a suicide bombing at a Sunni funeral west of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, officials said. The bomber detonated his explosive belt in front of the mourners during an vigil in the village of Abu Minasir.

 

Police said the funeral was for the head teacher of a local grammar school.

 

Elsewhere, a female suicide bomber killed two Iraqi soldiers Wednesday at an army checkpoint south of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry official said. The female detonated an explosive vest, killing an Iraqi commander, a soldier and wounding four others, according to the official.

 

The U.S. military confirmed the bombing, but reported one dead and seven wounded.

 

The bombings came hours after it was announced that Prime Minister Nouri Maliki was supervising an offensive against Sunni gunmen in Mosul.