BAGHDAD: An Iraqi provincial official says suicide attacks in Tikrit, north of Baghdad, have killed at least 22 people.
The official, a member of the Salahuddin provincial council, says five suicide bombers on foot targeted a police patrol and broke into a police officer's house in Tikrit's al-Zihoor neighbourhood the night before.
Ahmed al-Karim says that three bombers were killed by security forces, while two blew themselves up.
He says that at least 10 policemen were among the dead and that up to 31 people were wounded in Tuesday night's attacks.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings but Islamic State militants have carried out scores of similar attacks to detract from the Mosul fighting. The Sunni extremist group frequently targets Iraqi security forces and civilians in urban areas.