Suicide truck bomber kills at least five in Iraq

A suicide truck bomber struck a Sunni tribal leader's house near the Syrian border on Wednesday, killing at least five people and wounding nine, officials said.

Photo: Suicide truck bomber kills at least five in Iraq

The explosion occurred about 10:30 a.m. near the house of Sheik Kanaan Iqhaimar, the Sunni chieftain of the al-Mawali tribe, in a village some 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Sinjar, according to the town's mayor.

Mayor Dukheel al-Sinjari said five people were killed and nine wounded, including the sheik. He said the casualty toll could rise because more bodies were believed to be under the rubble.

Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack, but it bore the hallmark of al-Qaida in Iraq and other Sunni insurgents who often stage vehicle bombings and suicide attacks.

Al-Sinjari said the sheik's son worked for the Iraqi government as a contractor. Insurgents frequently have targeted Iraqi government employees and other officials they accuse of collaborating with U.S.-led efforts in the country.