At least 14 people were killed and 18 wounded late on Saturday when a car bomb exploded close to a market in the town of Balad Ruz, around 70 kilometers northeast of Baghdad.
According to reports, the explosion occurred around 100 meters from a security checkpoint at the entrance to the town, which has a predominantly Shiite population.
Balad Ruz is the capital of Diyala province, which has a mixed Sunni and Shia population and a diverse ethnic composition. No organization has as yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
