At least 10 people have been killed and 15 hurt in a bomb attack in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, officials say.
The explosion in the capital of Iraq's western Anbar province occurred at a checkpoint near government offices, police said.
Hospital officials told AFP news agency that four policemen and a young girl were among those killed.
Violence has been rising as Iraq prepares for a March general election, with Ramadi targeted more than once.
In late December, twin suicide blasts in the city killed 25 people and severely injured regional governor Qassim Mohammed.
Three co-ordinated explosions last October left at least 22 people dead and many more injured.
A doctor at Ramadi general hospital told AFP that 10 bodies had been taken in so far following Thursday's bombing.
But some confusion remained over the number of casualties, with an interior ministry official telling Reuters news agency six people had been killed and 10 injured.
Until 2007, the Sunni insurgency was strong in Anbar province.
Local Sunni tribes and their followers then turned against the militants and began co-operating with the Iraqi government and US forces.
But after a period of relative calm, the province is again suffering from mounting violence.
Source: thedailystar.net
