Iraq Attacks Kill 50, including 8 Police

A militant strapped with more than 100 pounds of explosives and disguised in an army uniform blew himself up in a crowded mess hall Wednesday as brutal attacks across Iraq killed more than 50 people.

The mess hall blast happened after a militant, wearing an army uniform and strapped with about 110 pounds of explosives, waited until soldiers gathered for lunch before blowing himself up. The blast killed 26 soldiers and wounded another 26 belonging to the Al-Salam battalion of the 2nd Brigade of the Iraqi army in Diyala province, the army said.

"I couldn't recognize one body from another. Body parts were scattered everywhere, because it was a huge blast," al-Obeidi said. "It is a fortified base, and we never believed any incident would occur inside this base."

Also Wednesday in eastern Baghdad, a suicide car bomber slammed into two police cars on patrol, killing 10 people, including eight police officers, and injured another 23. The suicide bomber drove a German luxury car into the police cars as they were stopped at an intersection, police said.

Insurgents kidnapped and killed two senior officers in Kirkuk's anti-terrorist squad, along with their driver and the son of one of the men. The bodies of all four were found dumped streetside in the northern city with gunshots to their heads.