Bombings kill at least 8 outside Iraqi capital, Baghdad

Officials in Iraq say separate bombings outside the capital, Baghdad, have killed at least eight people.
A police officer said a suicide car bomber attacked a police and army checkpoint Sunday in the town of Tarmiyah, killing five security members and wounding 10.
The town is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Baghdad.
Police say another car bomb killed three civilians and wounded eight at an outdoor market in Taji, about 20 kilometers north of Baghdad.
Two medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information.

The attacks come amid heightened security in Baghdad to protect thousands of Shiite pilgrims marching to a shrine of a revered Imam to commemorate his 8th-century death.