SAMARRA, Iraq, (Reuters) – A suicide bomber with a vest packed with explosives on Saturday killed at least two people and wounded 23 in a cafe frequented by police and tribal militias in the medieval city of Samarra, police said.
Despite a drop in overall violence over the last two years, bombings and other attacks remain common in Iraq, but the bloodshed is a far cry from the dark days of sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007.
Police said the cafe was used by policemen and members of the Sunni Muslim Sahwa or Awakening movement, former insurgents who switched sides and helped U.S. forces battle al Qaeda.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Years of sectarian carnage was sparked by the destruction of the golden domed al-Askari mosque in Samarra, 100 km (62 miles) north of Baghdad, in February 2006.