At least 23 people are killed Monday when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-packed car outside a Shitite muslim office in Baghdad.
An Iraqi military spokesman is calling it an act of terrorism.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAGHDAD MILITARY COMMAND SPOKESMAN, COLONEL DHIA AL-WAKEEL, SAYING:
"It is a terrorist attack, the security leadership, the office of the commander of the armed forces and all the security forces are dealing with this terrorist attack with high responsibility and at the highest levels."
Violence in Iraq has eased. But Sunni Islamist insurgents tied to al Qaeda are still capable of devastating attacks and often hit Shi'ite targets to stir up the kind of sectarian pressure that pushed Iraq close to civil war in 2006-2007.
