Baghdad: A woman suicide bomber blew herself up outside a courthouse north of the Iraqi capital today, killing six security personnel and three civilians, officials and witnesses said.

Two Iraqi army majors were among five soldiers killed while a policeman also died in the attack in Baquba, capital of the restive province of Diyala, a security official said.

The director of the main regional hospital, Ahmed Fuad, said 18 people were initially brought for treatment. One of them died, raising the toll to nine.

The attack was in front of the city courthouse, some 60 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Lawyer Mohammed Timimi said a woman dressed in traditional Arabic dress that covered her from head to toe, carried out the attack.

"I was going out to get photocopies. I saw a woman dressed in an abaya. As I stepped out she blew herself up," Timimi said. "There was a police car and soldiers in the compound at the time."

Today s attack was the worst suicide bombing in three weeks in Diyala. On September 15 a woman suicide bomber blew herself up in a crowd of people during a feast, killing 22 people and wounding 34.

Diyala is one of the most dangerous places in Iraq. Insurgent groups and Al-Qaeda have continued launching attacks there despite a massive crackdown by US and Iraqi forces.

A number of attacks in Diyala, especially suicide bombings, have been carried out by women.

Al-Qaeda has been blamed by the US military for most of the brutal violence in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein s regime.
Source : PTI