A suicide bomber detonated a minibus rigged with explosives at a crowded checkpoint south of Baghdad on Sunday, killing 34 
people.
The attack, which comes a few weeks before scheduled elections, was the latest by insurgents bent on destabilising the country.
The blast went off at the entrance of Hillah city during morning rush hour as dozens of cars were waiting to be searched.
Among the fatalities from the bombing at the northern entrance to the city of Hilla were five policemen, two women and five children, according to a police captain and medical sources.
A further 167 people were wounded, the sources said.
Police say the victims’ burns suggested the bomber packed his car with liquid fuel, probably gasoline.
The Shiite-dominated city is located about 60 miles (95 kilometres) south of Baghdad.