A suicide bombing in northern Iraq on Wednesday killed the lader of a provincial political party, along with four family members, on the eve of regional elections, AFP reported.
Yunus al-Ramah, head of the United Iraq party, was attacked at his home in the town of Al-Hadhr, in Nineveh province.
"The suicide bomber targeted people gathering in Ramah's garden," police First Lieutenant Islam al-Juburi told AFP.
Five people were killed -- Ramah and four of his relatives -- and six others wounded, Juburi and a doctor said.
Ramah's political party is perceived to be allied to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and a number of the party are due to run in the June 20 polls.
The attack took place the day before regional elections in Nineveh and Anbar, two Sunni-dominated provinces, where voting has been delayed from April 20 due to security concerns.
Iraq has experienced a wave of sectarian violence in recent months, as Sunni groups who feel marginalised by the Shiite led government unleashed a bombing campaign. May was the bloodiest month in Iraq since 2007, with more than 1,000 people killed according to the United Nations mission in the country.
