BAGHDAD, April 16 (UPI) -- A suicide bomber wearing an Iraqi uniform infiltrated a base in Anbar Province and killed at least 15 Iraqi soldiers Tuesday, military officials said.
The attack came as the Iraqis, members of the First Brigade, gathered outside the mess hall for lunch at Tamouz Air Force Base in Habbaniya, The New York Times reported. The bomber approached the men and then set off an explosive belt or vest.
Officials gave sharply differing accounts of the casualties, the Times said. Three Army officers in Anbar Province said that 15 soldiers were killed, while the Ministry of Defense said only the bomber died.
Other news sources, including The Times of London, put the total number of deaths at 16.
Bombings in Iraq have killed at least 70 people in April, including five U.S. soldiers. The attack at Tamouz was the second on Iraqi security forces in two days.
