Suicide bomber kills seven at Baghdad checkpoint

Iraqi policemen check a car at a street in central Baghdad (EPA)

A suicide bomber set off a car bomb today at a checkpoint leading to the Iraqi interior ministry, killing seven people and injuring 32 others, officials said.

Police said the bomber struck during morning rush hour, hitting one of many security barriers set up around the ministry building. Five policemen were among the dead, officials said.

Two doctors at nearby hospitals confirmed the causality figures.

No one has claimed the attack but suicide attacks are the hallmark of the al-Qa'ida in Iraq terror group.

The attack followed a series of bombings last week that killed up to 70 people in a single day, increasing fears about Iraq's future after US troops withdrew this month.

US and some Iraqi officials have warned of a resurgence of Sunni and Shiite militants and an increase in violence after the full US troop withdrawal.

Adding to Iraq's troubles is an increase in political tension stemming from a showdown between the Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and the top Sunni political leader in the country.

Mr al-Maliki's government has issued an arrest warrant for Sunni vice president Tariq al-Hashemi on charges that he ran hit squads against government officials.

Mr al-Hashemi has denied the charges and said they are politically motivated.

AP