Deadly bomb at Iraq party office

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Seven people have been killed and eight injured in a bombing at the office of a Sunni Muslim political party in central Iraq, police have said.

The blast took place in a building used by the Reform and Development party in the town of Baquba, north-east of the capital Baghdad, police said.

The party has stood in regional elections, but failed to win seats.

Despite a drop in violence across the country in recent months, insurgent groups are still active in the area.

A local police commander said the bomb went off as party officials were holding a meeting, and most of the victims were members of the party.

Deadly attacks increased in Iraq as the US completed its withdrawal from urban areas at the end of June, though the overall level of violence has fallen sharply in recent months.