Car bomb in central Iraq kills 22

WikipediaA car bomb has exploded at a market in Iraq's northern Diyala province, killing at least 22 people and wounding another 53, police said.

The blast took place in the mainly Shia town of Khalis, about 80km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, at about 1630 GMT.

Earlier this month, a spate of attacks across Iraq killed over 100 people.

The situation in the country remains tense after elections in March, with no bloc having yet assembled a majority to form a government.

It is the deadliest attack since a double bombing on 14 May, which killed 25 people and wounded 120.

The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad said a car containing explosives was set off in a busy market in front of a coffee shop where crowds were enjoying the cool evening.

Our correspondent says the attack is believed to have been carried out by Sunni militants in an effort to provoke sectarian reaction against Sunnis.

Violence has fallen considerably since three years ago at the height of the insurgency, but the recent attacks have sparked fears that militants are regrouping.