The death toll from a blast in a market in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar rose to 25 on Saturday after four of the six dozen people injured died from their wounds, a security official said, AP reported. The predominantly ethnic Turkoman town was under an indefinite curfew a day after Friday's bombing, according to the official. The official, who was familiar with the police investigation, said the blast was carried out by a lone Turkoman suicide bomber from Tal Afar, whose identity was established after forensic tests on his remains. The bomber had been released from detention four months ago under an amnesty passed by parliament earlier this year, he added. Initial reports said a parked car was used in the attack. The bomber may have avoided detection at a checkpoint leading to the busy market by having a man ride with him in the passenger seat, said the official. The passenger got off soon after the car passed the checkpoint, he added, quoting witness reports. Suicide car bombers are known to ride alone in most cases, so having a passenger next to them could help them avoid detection. Tal Afar, a frequent target of suicide bombings over the past five years, bans males from driving alone. The top U.S. diplomat and military commander in Iraq condemned the attack in Tal Afar, located 260 miles (420 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus said in a joint statement Saturday that the «senseless» attack will further unite the Iraqi people to reject al-Qaida in Iraq and the «indiscriminate» violence it inflicts on civilians.
