Female suicide bomber kills 20, wounds 30

by Tina Kells | September 15, 2008 at 02:07 pm

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A female suicide bomber has killed 20 and injured 30 more in a Monday evening attack in the town of Balad Ruz, in the Diyala province of Iraq.

The bomber struck as Iftar -- the meal that ends Ramadan fasting each day -- was taking place behind the home of a former U.S. detainee. Adnan Shukur had been released from U.S. custody Sunday, and his house lies behind the Balad Ruz police station.

Shukur is a former police official who was detained about a year ago, according to a security official in Diyala province.

Many people, including police officers, were at Shukur's house to congratulate him on his release.

It was not immediately clear if Shukur was among the casualties.

Female suicide bombers have become increasingly common in Iraq. Insurgents have taken advantage of the fact that women are not searched or detained as often as men, making it easier for them to get through security checkpoints.

To combat this growing trend, Iraqi officials have launched a program to train women for duty at security checkpoints. Called the Daughters of Iraq, the program has been launched so that women can be fully searched at checkpoints. Islamic law forbids men from strip searching women.

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