Iraq suicide bomber kills 22, injures 45

BAGHDAD, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A suicide bomber detonated explosives near a group of anti-al-Qaida fighters in Iraq Monday, killing 22 people and injuring 45, a security official said.

The official said the attacker set off an explosive vest among a gathering of Sahwa members who were receiving their paychecks in the al-Taji district in northern Baghdad, IraqiNews.com reported.

The inured included seven Iraqi soldiers, an official said.

Sahwa is another name for Awakening groups founded to counter the influence of al-Qaida in Iraq.