Suicide car bomber kills 9 in Iraqi city of Mosul

Baghdad: At least nine people have been killed and 25 wounded in a suicide car bombing targeting police in the northern city of Mosul, an Iraqi police officer said.

The officer says the attacker detonated the explosive-laden car on Monday after approaching the checkpoint at the provincial police headquarters in the city's main commercial district.

He says three policemen and four civilians were killed.

The US military has called Mosul the last urban stronghold of Al Qaida in Iraq. US and Iraqi forces have been conducting sweeping operations in recent weeks to clear the area.