7 killed, 22 wounded in suicide blast

BABEL / IraqiNews.com: Seven Iraqi soldiers and Sahwa fighters on Saturday were killed and 22 others were wounded in a suicide bombing that occurred in Babel province, according to a media source. “On Saturday, a suicide bomber in an explosives belt blew himself up at a checkpoint set up by the Iraqi army and Sahwa fighters in Jisr 18 area (60 km north of Hilla),” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. The explosion occurred while checkpoint personnel were receiving their salaries, the source added. The Sahwa councils are anti-Qaeda fighters working in coordination with the Multi-National Force (MNF) and the Iraqi government. Headed by local chieftains, the councils have been credited with helping reduce violence in many Iraqi provinces, like Anbar, Diala, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din. Hilla, the capital city of Babel province, lies 100 km south of Baghdad. SS (P) 1