At least 20 wounded in suicide bomb attack in Iraq

At least 20 people were wounded in a suicide truck bomb explosion near a bank in central Kirkuk in northern Iraq on Thursday, a local police source said. The attack occurred before midday when a suicide bomber struck near a crowd of policemen gathering outside the government-owned bank in central Kirkuk to collect the salaries on behalf of their units, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Most of the victims were policemen, the source said, adding that the Iraqi security forces have cordoned off the scene. Sporadic attacks, including suicide bombings, are still common in Iraqi cities despite the dramatic decrease of violence over the past few years.