A roadside blast in southern Iraq has blown apart a civil passenger bus leaving at least 16 people dead and 22 more injured.

 

The bus was traveling from Basra to Nasiriyah, when the blast took place just 80 km south from the town of Nasiriyah.

According to the Iraqi police, five women and three children were among those killed.

 

Tuesday's blast comes just a day after the killing of five American soldiers in Baghdad, who were targeted by a suicide bomber.

 

In a separate incident during the day, at least eight people were killed when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a checkpoint manned by Iraqi soldiers and a local group.

 

Colonel Mohammed Khalid, the local police officer said: "The suicide attack took place in Dhuluiya, 70 km from north of Baghdad, in Salaheddin province, at around 3:15pm (1215 GMT)."

 

US bases are now located inside Iraqi neighbourhood and more US soldiers are getting out of their armoured vehicles to patrol Baghdad on foot, as a part of the military's strategy.

 

While the face-to-face contact builds goodwill, it also gives suicide bombers, who slip by vehicle security checkpoints simply by walking, a better access to striking soldiers.