by Hassan al-Obeidi Tue Dec 25, 5:13 AM ET
TIKRIT, Iraq (AFP) - Two suicide bombings killed 29 people in Iraq on Tuesday, including 25 who died when a bomber slammed his vehicle into a truck carrying gas cylinders at an Iraqi army checkpoint near Baiji.
The two attacks appeared to be directed against groups fighting Al-Qaeda militants in Iraq.
The truck bombing occurred on the outskirts of the refinery town of Baiji, 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Baghdad, an official from the joint Iraqi-US-security coordination centre in Tikrit said.
The bomber drove his pick-up vehicle into the truck, which was full of cooking gas cylinders, at the checkpoint manned by Iraqi soldiers and members of a group fighting Al-Qaeda, the official said. About 85 people were also wounded.
A medic from the local hospital and the US military both confirmed the attack, which was close to the Baiji oil refinery from where fuel products are distributed across Iraq.
more Turkish forces have killed hundreds of Kurdish rebels and struck more than 200 targets in northern Iraq in the past 10 days, the Turkish military has said.
Up to 175 rebels were killed on 16 December alone, the military statement added. More cross-border air raids were reported on Tuesday.
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Targets hit include three command centres, two communications centres, two training camps, nine logistical areas, 182 living quarters and 14 arsenals, the statement said.
On Monday, the president of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, Massoud Barzani, condemned Turkey's raids and warned Ankara to stop the strikes.
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