Suicide bomber kills 35 in Baghdad restaurant-police

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed 35 people and
wounded at least 25 more in a crowded restaurant in central
Baghdad frequented by security forces during breakfast on
Thursday morning, police said.

It was one of the biggest attacks in recent weeks and came
the day after at least six people were killed and 25 wounded
when two car bombs exploded near a police station and a mosque
in a mainly Shi’ite area of Baghdad.

Medical sources at two hospitals said the death toll was at
least 25. The U.S. military also said the death toll at 25
according to initial reports.

“A suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest went into a
restaurant,” a police official said shortly after the loud
blast, which could be heard from several kilometres (miles)
away, rocking the city shortly after 9:30 a.m. (0630 GMT).

“Body parts are all over the place, we are still collecting
them,” a police officer on the scene said.

He said at least four Iraqi policemen were eating breakfast
at the restaurant when the bomber struck. A police explosive
expert on the scene said the bomber had also been carrying a
bag full of explosives.

The police official said the restaurant was thought to be
regularly frequented by Iraqi security force members.

The Shi’ite- and Kurdish-led government is fighting a Sunni
Arab insurgency that has killed thousands of people since the
March 2003 U.S.-led invasion.