A suicide bomber blew himself up near a Shiite mosque in the town of Khalis northeast of Baghdad on Friday, killing at least nine people and injuring 11 others, a police source told Xinhua.

The bomber targeted the Shiite mosque after Friday prayers in the town, 75 km northeast of the capital, the source said on condition of anonymity.

"Our initial report said the bombing killed nine people and wounded 11 others," the source said.

Khalis is a town in Diyala province, which is plagued by sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2006)