Update: 51 killed in suicide truck bombing near Iraqi capital

Up to 51 people were killed and some 70 others wounded on Sunday in a suicide truck bomb attack on a security checkpoint in the city of Hilla, capital of Iraq's central Babil province, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

"The reports said that the casualties from the suicide truck bomb attack in Hilla security checkpoint rose to 51 people killed and 70 others wounded," the source said on condition of anonymity.

The attack occurred around noon when a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden truck into the crowded al-Athar security checkpoint at the northern entrance of Hilla, some 100 km south of Baghdad, the source said.

The massive blast destroyed the checkpoint buildings and left dozens of vehicles badly damaged, while many civilian cars were set ablaze, the source said, adding that most of the victims were civilians who were inside their cars while queuing at the crowded checkpoint.

The IS has frequently targeted areas where large crowds gather, including checkpoints, markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq.

Iraq is currently witnessing a wave of violence since the IS group took control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions in June 2014. Endit