Suicide bomber kills seven police officers

Baghdad: Seven police officers were killed and 30 injured when a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest blew himself up at a police station in Muqdadiya, northeast of Baghdad.

There were several more explosions in quick succession that may have been mortar attacks, a police source said.

Muqdadiya, northeast of Baghdad, is in Diyala, a province with a mixed population of Shiites and Sunni Arabs that has seen persistent sectarian violence.

Iraqi police and army are frequently targeted by insurgents, underlining the challenge faced by the US-backed government which needs to reinforce security forces as part of its goal to take over responsibility for security from US forces.