45 killed, 150 injured in Tikrit attack

SALAH AL-DIN / IraqiNews.com: Casualties from the suicide bombing attack that in central Tikrit on Tuesday raised to 45 dead and 150 wounded, a medic said. “The Salah al-Din educational hospital received 45 bodies and 150 wounded persons as a result of the suicide explosion that targeted a police recruitment center in central Tikrit,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Many wounded people are in critical condition,” he added. “Security forces launched a crackdown operation around the scene in central Tikrit to hunt down wanted men,” a police source said. A security source had said earlier that a suicide bomber blew up an explosive belt strapped to his body near a police recruitment center in the festivities square in central Tikrit, killing 15 and injuring 30. Tikrit, the capital of Salah al-Din, lies 175 km north of Baghdad.  SH (TP)/SR  535