BAGHDAD — The U.S. military blamed al-Qaeda in Iraq on Saturday for a suicide car bombing in the northern Iraqi town of Tall Afar, while an Iraqi official said the death toll in the attack had risen to 25.
An Iraqi security official said the attacker was a Sunni Turkoman who had been detained by the U.S. military but was released four months ago under an Iraqi amnesty law.
The bomber might have avoided detection at a checkpoint leading to the busy market by having a man in the passenger seat, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The passenger got off soon after the car passed the checkpoint, he added, citing witness reports and forensic tests. Suicide car bombers are known to ride alone in most cases, so having a passenger could help them avoid detection.
