At least 15 people have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack on a police checkpoint in Iraq's capital Baghdad, officials say.

They say more than 40 people were injured when the bomber detonated the vehicle - an oil tanker laden with explosives - at the checkpoint in the south of the capital.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

So-called Islamic State has recently carried out similar attacks in Iraq.

Wednesday's attack comes as Iraq forces are continuing a major offensive to recapture the city of Mosul - the last IS urban stronghold in the country.

Supported by US-led coalition air strikes and military advisers, the Iraqi army has managed to retake large parts of the northern city and its surrounding area.</s>A suicide truck bomb has been detonated at a police checkpoint in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 45.

Police officials said the bomber detonated his explosives among vehicles waiting to be searched at the checkpoint Wednesday, setting some of them on fire.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but Islamic State has carried out similar attacks as its territorial hold in Iraq weakens.

Iraqi forces are fighting the terrorist group in western Mosul, where about 2,000 IS fighters are launching fierce counterattacks.

The militants have lost territory captured in a 2014 offensive across northern and western Iraq, and have stepped up bomb attacks elsewhere.</s>BAGHDAD: A suicide truck bomb blew up at a checkpoint in the south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and wounding more than 60, police sources said.

They said the bomber detonated his explosives among other vehicles waiting to be searched at the checkpoint, setting some of them on fire.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. But the attack occurred with Islamic State battling Iraqi forces in its last stronghold in the country in the city of Mosul. As the militants have lost territory captured in a 2014 offensive across northern and western Iraq, they have stepped up bomb attacks elsewhere.</s>The death toll in a suicide truck bomb targeting a police checkpoint in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad has been raised to 15, with 45 injured.

Iraqi officials on March 29 said the attacker detonated an oil tanker truck filled with explosives as it approached the checkpoint.

At least three of the dead and many of the injured were police officers, officials said. The rest were civilians.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group has carried out similar attacks as their stronghold of Mosul comes under assault by U.S.-backed forces.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters</s>A general view shows destruction the day after a suicide bombing targeting a checkpoint at a main southern entrance to Baghdad, on March 30, 2017 (AFP Photo/KHALIL AL-MURSHIDI)

Baghdad (AFP) - At least 14 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle at an entrance to Baghdad, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group, officials said Thursday.

The blast, which hit the checkpoint at the main southern entrance to the city on Wednesday night, also wounded at least 36 people, the officials said.

IS issued a statement claiming the attack, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber driving a truck "carrying several tonnes of explosive material."

The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost.

Iraqi security forces are now battling IS in west Mosul, the last city in the country in which the jihadists hold significant ground.

But even the full recapture of Mosul will not do away with the threat of IS bombings that have plagued Iraq for years. The jihadist group still holds territory in the country's west, as well as in Syria.

And even the loss of all that territory would not prevent it from reverting to underground insurgent cells carrying out bombings against civilians and hit-and-run attacks on security forces.</s>A suicide truck bomb targeted a police checkpoint in southern Baghdad on Wednesday night, killing 15 people and wounding 45, according to Iraqi officials. The bomber detonated the vehicle, an oil tanker laden with explosives, security and hospital officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity under regulations.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Tribune.</s>BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say a suicide truck bomb has targeted a police checkpoint in southern Baghdad, killing 15 people and wounding 45.

Security and hospital officials say the bomber detonated the vehicle — an oil tanker laden with explosives — late on Wednesday night. Three policemen are among the dead while the rest were civilians. A number of policemen were also wounded.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State group has carried out similar attacks as their territorial hold in Iraq weakens.

Iraqi forces are fighting IS in western Mosul, where some 2,000 IS fighters are launching fierce counterattacks. After launching the operation to retake Mosul in October, Iraq declared eastern Mosul liberated in January.</s>The blast, which hit the checkpoint at the main southern entrance to the city on Wednesday night, also wounded at least 36 people, the officials said.

IS issued a statement claiming the attack, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber driving a truck "carrying several tonnes of explosive material."

The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost.

Iraqi security forces are now battling IS in west Mosul, the last city in the country in which the jihadists hold significant ground.

But even the full recapture of Mosul will not do away with the threat of IS bombings that have plagued Iraq for years. The jihadist group still holds territory in the country's west, as well as in Syria.

And even the loss of all that territory would not prevent it from reverting to underground insurgent cells carrying out bombings against civilians and hit-and-run attacks on security forces.</s>At least 17 people have been killed and some 60 more injured after an explosive-laden truck exploded at a security checkpoint in southern Baghdad.

Local police said on Wednesday night that the incident occurred when the vehicle’s driver detonated the explosives while waiting to pass through the checkpoint.

Several other vehicles waiting to pass through the checkpoint were also severely damaged in the blast.
• Car bomb attack kills at least 23, injures dozens in Iraq’s capital
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No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but such incidents are usually claimed by the Daesh terrorist group, which is battling against Iraqi troops in Mosul, its last bastion in the country.

Meanwhile, Iraqi troops have increased their control around western Mosul’s al-Nuri mosque during operations to the retake the northern city.

Daesh’s leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, announced the forming of the group’s so-called caliphate from the mosque in 2014.

Government helicopters have been circling the city and attacking terrorist-held positions around a train station that has been the scene of fierce fighting for the last few days.

According to fleeing residents, heavy gunfire can be heard from all from the Old city area, where the terrorists are hiding amongst civilians and using the tight streets and alleyways and snaking roads to their advantage.

Large numbers of civilians have so far managed to escape the city, but thousands remain and are being used by the terrorists as human shields.
• Iraqi forces take control over Daesh command center in western Mosul

Iraqi forces have been operating in the Old City area for several weeks, but they have faced tough resistance and progress has been slow.

Government troops and volunteer Hashd al-Sha’abi forces drove Daesh militants from the eastern part of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, earlier this year. The fight has now moved to Mosul’s densely populated western neighborhoods.</s>BAGHDAD — A suicide truck bomb targeted a police checkpoint in southern Baghdad on Wednesday night, killing 15 people and wounding 45, according to Iraqi officials.

The bomber detonated the vehicle, an oil tanker laden with explosives, security and hospital officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity under regulations. Three policemen were among the dead while the rest were civilians, and a number of policemen were also wounded, the officials said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State group has carried out similar attacks as their territorial hold in Iraq weakens.

Iraqi forces are fighting IS in western Mosul, where some 2,000 IS fighters are launching fierce counterattacks. After the beginning the operation to retake Mosul in October, Iraqi authorities in January declared they have liberated eastern Mosul, which is separated from the city's western neighborhoods by the Tigris River.

Western Mosul is densely populated and has proven to be a much more difficult fight for Iraqi and coalition forces, which have resorted to greater use of artillery and airstrikes to clear and hold territory.

A number of airstrikes in western Mosul have resulted in high civilians casualties, according to residents interviewed by The Associated Press. The U.S.-led coalition says a strike in western Mosul on March 17 likely resulted in civilian casualties and is investigating the incident.

Iraqi witnesses have said that airstrikes earlier this month killed scores of civilians. U.S. officials have said that the munitions used by the U.S.-led coalition that day should not have taken the entire building down, suggesting that militants may have deliberately gathered civilians there and planted other explosives that were detonated by airstrikes.

The militants have suffered a string of defeats over the past two years in the lead up to the Mosul operation, but have continued to regularly launch attacks in and around Baghdad. A series of large-scale bombings claimed by IS has struck Baghdad since the operation to retake Mosul began.

Iraqi and coalition officials have repeatedly warned that after Mosul, IS will likely return to its insurgent roots as it loses more territory in both Iraq and neighboring Syria.
A car bomb attack on a police checkpoint in Baghdad kills at least 15 people and injures 40 others.