A suicide bomber blew himself up outside an army recruitment center in northern Iraq on Friday, killing 25 and wounding 35, the Arab-language al-Arabiya satellite TV reported.

The attack occurred in the town of Rabia, about 80 km northwest of Mosul and close to the Syrian border.

The victims were young men waiting to sign up to join the Iraqi army, said the report.

US officials said some 1,000 to 1,400 recruits are joining the new army every month as the US has sped up training Iraqi soldiers and police to help them take over security control before the foreign troops' withdrawal from the country.

However, insurgents frequently attack Iraqi army recruits and policemen in an attempt to cripple the Shiite-dominated government since its formation in late April.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2005)