Suicide car bomber attacks army patrol in northern Iraq, killing 12

BAGHDAD – Officials say a suicide attack against an army patrol in northern Iraq has killed 12 people.

A police officer says the suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car early Monday morning into a passing army patrol in the northern city of Mosul, killing nine soldiers and three civilians. He added that fourteen others, included four civilians, were wounded.

A medical official confirmed the casualty figure. Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

Mosul, 360 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Baghdad, is one of Iraq's major flashpoints. A recent wave of bloodshed that has killed more than 2,000 Iraqis since the start of April, the deadliest outbreak of violence in five years.