Suicide bomber kills 45 in Iraqi city of Hilla

People look at the site of a car bomb attack in the neighbourhood of al-Qahera in northern Baghdad, March 9, 2014. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

HILLA, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide bomber driving a minibus packed with explosives killed at least 45 people and wounded 157 on Sunday in the southern Iraqi city of Hilla, police and medical sources said.

The attacker approached a main checkpoint at a northern entrance to the largely Shi'ite Muslim city and detonated the minibus, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.