A suicide car bomb hit an Iraqi army checkpoint south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing five soldiers and wounding several others, police said.

"A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into an Iraqi army checkpoint in Mahmoudiyah, some 30 km south of Baghdad, killing five soldiers and wounding several others," a policeman told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, an Iraqi army checkpoint in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of al-Bueitha was attacked by a suicide car bomber. One soldier was killed and six others injured, according to the police.

Insurgents frequently mount deadly attacks against Iraq's fledgling security forces in a bid to cripple the Shiite-dominated government.

Source: Xinhua