AN explosives-filled tractor exploded in a restive region of Iraq`s Diyala province today, killing at least seven members of a local anti al-Qaeda group, a police officer said.
The tractor was parked by the side of road in the village of Wais, 100km east of Baquba, the capital of Diyala, the officer said.
It exploded when a patrol of a group that fights al-Qaeda militants was passing, he said.
Doctor Yusuf Abdullah at a hospital in the nearby town of Khanaqin confirmed the casualties had been brought in.
The police officer said eight others were wounded, including five members of the anti al-Qaeda group.
Since late 2006, several anti al-Qaeda groups have sprung up across Iraq to fight the extremists. Known as Sahwa or Awakening, the groups have been increasingly targeted by al-Qaeda.
Diyala continues to be the most dangerous region of Iraq, with insurgents carrying out regular attacks despite several military campaigns against them.
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