12 Iraqi civilians were killed and 24 others were wounded on Saturday when a car bomb exploded in central Balad district, south of Tikrit, Salaheddin province.

12 Iraqi civilians were killed and 24 others were wounded on Saturday when a car bomb exploded in central Balad district, south of Tikrit, Salaheddin province.

Police said a car bomb exploded on Saturday evening, near an outdoor café in Balad district, south of Tikrit, killing 12 civilians and seriously wounding 24 others.

Two TV Reporters Killed in Mosul

Two journalists with Iraq's Sharqiya television were "assassinated" in the northern city of Mosul on Saturday, the channel said.

A police officer and a doctor confirmed that the two men -- named by Sharqiya as correspondent Mohammed Karim al-Badrani and cameraman Mohammed Ghanem -- were shot dead.

The pair's reports on security forces and officials in Mosul brought death threats from militant groups opposed to the government, a Sharqiya journalist said.

Mosul is one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq, with militants frequently carrying out attacks and also reportedly extorting money from shop owners in the city.

In Fallujah, a civilian man was killed today in an armed attack.

Around 5,000 have been killed in attacks since the beginning of the year, indicating a serious peril against the Iraqi security.