Iraqi guards shot and killed a female suicide bomber Sunday before she reached their headquarters, the Iraqi military said, foiling the latest of more than 20 suicide missions carried out by women this year, according to AP. The bomber was targeting the headquarters of an awakening council _ Sunni volunteers who have turned against insurgents _ about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad. Guards opened fire before she reached the building, triggering her explosives belt. One of the guards was wounded in the blast, the Iraqi military said. The number of female suicide attackers has risen from eight in 2007 to more than 20 so far this year, according to U.S. military figures. Including Sunday's attack, at least nine have occurred in Diyala province, a former al-Qaida stronghold where the extremist group is trying to regroup after setbacks last year. A female suicide bomber struck outside a government complex a week ago in Baqouba, the capital of Diyala province, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 40, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials.
