Car bomb kills at least five south of Baghdad

A car bomb exploded at a crowded checkpoint outside the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, on Sunday, killing at least five people, police and medical sources said.

"A car bomb went off at the main checkpoint north of Hilla" at around 1:00 pm (1000 GMT), a police lieutenant said.

He and other security and medical officials gave a toll of at least five killed and 35 wounded but said it could rise.

The Islamic State group, which carries out nearly all such attacks, has not had fixed positions south of Baghdad since security forces and allied militias began their fightback against the jihadists in late 2014.

A March 2014 suicide bombing at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hilla, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, killed 50 people and wounded more than 150.