Baghdad Suicide Blast Kills 21 at Iraqi Army Recruiting Center

A suicide bomber wearing an explosives-laden belt detonated his payload among a group of Iraqi military recruits early today, killing at least 21 people and wounding 43 others.

The attack came after several days of relative calm in the capital and again demonstrated insurgents’ resolve to attack Iraqi troops and anyone who wishes to join the Iraqi security forces.

Another blast early today, this time a suicide car bombing, left two people dead and 19 injured outside a hospital near downtown Kirkuk, officials said. The northern city of Kirkuk, which sits near some of Iraq’s largest oil reserves, has become a battleground among its principal ethnic groups, including Arabs, Turkmen and Kurds.

Sunni Arab-led guerrillas fighting to topple the U.S.-backed, Shiite-dominated government here view the Iraqi security forces as a principal foe and have killed more than 2,000 people in the last two years, officials say.

Hundreds of recruits have been killed and injured even before they got to join, usually while lining up outside recruiting centers.

This morning’s attack occurred outside the Muthana base near central Baghdad, a major recruiting center for the Iraqi army.

The site has been attacked half a dozen times, usually by suicide bombers.

Officials have installed cement barriers and blast walls at the former Iraqi air base but say absolute security is impossible because the line of recruits must begin somewhere.

The renewed attacks come as U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a series of new raids against insurgent strongholds in western Al Anbar province, an overwhelmingly Sunni Arab area that has been a stronghold of insurgents.

Marines and Iraqi troops began the operation Thursday near Zaidan, southeast of Fallouja. Close to two dozen suspects had been arrested, the military said.

The campaign includes 500 Marines, officials said. The military delayed announcing the effort to avoid tipping off insurgents, the Marines said.