A suicide bombing attack in Samarra killed at least nine civilians on Saturday, increasing the tension in the so-called Sunni Triangle and signaling a revival of sophisticated insurgents attacks in the region.

A suicide car bomber drove an explosive-laden vehicle into the house of Iraqi police commandos officer Shaker Muhmoud al-Saub on Saturday afternoon in Samarra, some 100 km northwest of Baghdad, killing at least nine civilians nearby. While two other insurgents died later when they were planting another explosive device outside Muhamoud's house in an attempt to ambush other policemen, the US military said.

In another attack in the same region, the insurgents captured eight Iraqi officers near the western city of Ramadi late Friday and shot them to death, the Iraqi Police said.

The US military Saturday confirmed two more deaths of US marines in Thursday's suicide bombing attack against a US convoy in Fallujah, some 65 km west of Baghdad, bringing the total death to four in the ambush.

Gunmen fired at a US convoy carrying female US soldiers in Fallujah on Thursday after a car-bomber struck the convoy. All attackers escaped before US reinforcement arrived.

It was also reported that militants launched mortar shellings on a cafe in western Baghdad on Saturday night, leaving five civilians dead.

The Baghdad Airport was closed on Saturday after its security workers went on a strike, leaving government officials and civilian travelers stranded.

Source: Xinhua