43 killed in Baghdad attack

Baghdad, Iraq -- A suicide bomber killed at least 43 people and wounded 40 others in an attack outside Baghdad on Sunday morning, police said.

The attacker targeted members of the Awakening Council -- former Sunni militants now in the pay of the Iraqi government -- as they waited to receive paychecks, police said.

A second suicide bomber hit an Awakening Council office in the town of al-Qaem, on the Iraqi-Syrian border, killing three and injuring six, an Iraqi official said. The attack also took place Sunday morning.

And another person was killed and three were hurt when a bomb attached to a car went off in northeastern Baghdad later on Sunday, police officials said.

Awakening Council members, also known as Sons of Iraq, are credited with helping bring down violence in Iraq in the past two years. They are a frequent target of anti-government militants.

Iraq continues to see almost daily violence, but it has been some time since so many people were killed in a single incident.

At least 66 people were killed in more than half-a-dozen attacks on Shiite pilgrims on July 7-8.