9 Iraqis Die as Suicide Attack Hits Checkpoint

Nine people were killed and 13 others wounded Wednesday when a suicide bomber rammed a car into an Iraqi security checkpoint south of Baghdad, an Iraqi national guard officer said by telephone from the scene.

The guardsman said traffic was heavy and about five civilian cars were destroyed when the attacker struck at the northeastern entrance to the town of Latifiya.

Iraqi guardsmen and police manning the checkpoint were among the dead, as were civilians, the guardsman said.

Latifiya is part of a dangerous cluster of towns southwest of the capital, where insurgents and bandits set up impromptu checkpoints and kill people who they suspect are working with U.S.-led forces.

Also on Wednesday, U.S. military officials announced the death of a Marine in Al Anbar province. Lance Cpl. Neil D. Petsche, 21, of Lena, Ill., died Tuesday in a traffic accident. He was assigned to the base at Twentynine Palms, Calif.