Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida group in Iraq on Sunday claimed its responsibility for a suicide bombing attack at a recruitment centre in Baghdad that killed over people and injuring dozens.

The group said in an Islamist website statement that a suicide bomber detonated himself amid a large number of applicants to the recruitment centre.

"This morning, one of our martyrdom cubs, Abu Abdullah al- Shumri ... carried out a heroic attack against a recruitment center of the infidel guards at the gate of Al-Muthana airport," said the statement, which could not be authenticated.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at an Iraqi army recruitment center near Alawi area in central Baghdad at about 9:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) Sunday morning, killing more than 20 people and wounding about 37 others, a police officer told Xinhua.

"The suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up among a crowd of recruits at the entrance of an Iraqi army base in central Baghdad," the officer added on condition of anonymity.

Insurgents in Iraq frequently attacked fledgling police and security forces in a bid to cripple the Shiite-dominated government since its formation in late April.

Source: Xinhua