Suicide Bomber Kills At Least 11 People South Of Baghdad

BAGHDAD (Reuters) -- A suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives killed at least 11 people and wounded 30 Saturday in a town just south of Baghdad, police and medical sources said.

The attacker approached a major checkpoint at a northern entrance to the town of Yusifiya, eight miles from the capital, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

“The suicide bomber drove his car into the checkpoint and blew up the car in middle of vehicles waiting to be searched,” the officer said. Violence in Iraq has spiraled out of control this year, reaching levels not seen since the dark days of 2006-07 when the country was convulsed by civil war.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Ned Parker/Mark Heinrich)