Suicide bomber kills 11 in Iraq

Baghdad: A suicide bombing on Thursday in the city of Tikrit in northern Iraq killed 11 people, including the provincial anti-riot police chief, and wounded 15, police said.

The incident took place at a popular marketplace in central Tikrit when a suicide bomber blew himself up near Ahmed al-Fahal, the anti-riot police chief of the province, Xinhua reported.

The blast killed Fahal, three of his guards and seven civilians and injured 15 people, including policemen, the source said.

Fahal has long been a target for the Al Qaeda in Iraq network, as he frequently led Iraqi security forces in fight against Al Qaeda militants in the province of Salahudin, which once was one of the main strongholds of insurgency in the country.