Iraqi officials say the toll from a suicide bombing at a military recruiting center in Baghdad has risen to 21 killed and nearly three dozen wounded.
The strike today morning likely was meant to send a message to the government and would-be army volunteers over Iraqi troops' ongoing push to retake two western cities overrun by al-Qaida militants.
A police official who provided the death toll says 35 people were wounded in the attack. He said the dead included four soldiers guarding the site.
A hospital official confirmed the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.
