The Iraqi police thwarted a suicide bomb attack on Tuesday when they killed a woman trying to blow herself up among recruits in northern Baghdad, an Interior

Ministry source said.

"A female suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest approached a group of recruits who were lining up to apply for jobs in the Iraqi police commando forces, but the guards recognized her and shot her," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The woman's vest exploded before she hit her target, the source said, adding that three police commando members were wounded by the blast.

Suicide bomb attacks have often been implemented by males but insurgents sometimes used females in their attacks to surprise their targets.

Violence still griped the Iraq capital despite a U.S.-led security crackdown since Feb. 14, which has not achieved substantial progress in restoring security in Iraq.

Source: Xinhua