Suicide bomber kills 5 in southern Iraq

BAGHDAD — Iraqi police and hospital officials say five policeman were killed when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into the gates of a police building in southern Iraq.

The officials said 18 people were also injured in the Monday morning attack in the city of Basra.

A Basra police official says the bomber crashed through the gate and made it a few yards (meters) into the compound before blowing up the car.

The attack occurred during the morning rush hour. Basra is 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad.

The city is becoming the hub for Iraq’s burgeoning oil industry, and suicide bombings like Monday’s are rare.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.