Officials say suicide car bomb kills 12 Shiite militiamen and Iraqi soldiers north of Baghdad

BAGHDAD – Iraqi authorities say a suicide car bomb has killed 12 Shiite militiamen and soldiers north of Baghdad.

Police officials say the attack happened Monday when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a gathering of soldiers and Shiite fighters in the town of Abasiyat, just south of Tikrit, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Baghdad.

Police and hospital officials said the attack killed 10 militiamen and two soldiers, while wounding 18 people.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

Iraq sees near-daily bombings and other attacks mainly targeting the Shiite majority and security forces. The attacks are often claimed by the Islamic State group, which seized much of northern and western Iraq last year.