Iraqi police say at least 67 people have been killed and some 200 others wounded in a suicide bombing near a Shi'ite mosque in northern Iraq.
Saturday's attack near the city of Kirkuk came just 10 days before U.S. forces are scheduled to pull out of Iraq's urban areas.
In the attack, a truck exploded as worshippers left a mosque following midday prayers in Taza, a mainly Turkmen town south of Kirkuk. Some 25 homes were destroyed. Medical officials say women and children are among the dead.
No one has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing.
Shortly before the attack, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told leaders from the ethnic Turkmen community to stay resolute even if there is a breach of security in Iraq.
Tensions have risen in the oil-rich region as the Kurdish majority seeks to incorporate it into their semiautonomous region despite opposition from other ethnic groups.
The level of violence has dropped significantly across the country in the past year. But Iraqi officials have warned that insurgents will increase attacks in an effort to undermine confidence in the country's security forces.
Saturday's attack near the city of Kirkuk came just 10 days before U.S. forces are scheduled to pull out of Iraq's urban areas.
In the attack, a truck exploded as worshippers left a mosque following midday prayers in Taza, a mainly Turkmen town south of Kirkuk. Some 25 homes were destroyed. Medical officials say women and children are among the dead.
No one has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing.
Shortly before the attack, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told leaders from the ethnic Turkmen community to stay resolute even if there is a breach of security in Iraq.
Tensions have risen in the oil-rich region as the Kurdish majority seeks to incorporate it into their semiautonomous region despite opposition from other ethnic groups.
The level of violence has dropped significantly across the country in the past year. But Iraqi officials have warned that insurgents will increase attacks in an effort to undermine confidence in the country's security forces.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
