A Suicide bomber blew himself up at a restaurant in the volatile Diyala province on Thursday, killing 45 people and wounding 28 others, an Interior Ministry source said.

The?suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt inside a restaurant on the main way near the town of Maqdadiyah, some 100 km northeast of Baghdad, killing up to 45 people and wounding 28 others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The attack took place during the lunch time when dozens of passengers gathered in the restaurant, the source said.

Many of the victims were Iranian pilgrims who used to visit Iraqi Shiite holy sites in Iraq, the source added.

The blast destroyed parts of the restaurant and badly damaged several nearby civilian vehicles, he said.

Also in the day, another suicide bomber struck a crowd of policemen in Baghdad's central district of Karradah, killing 28 people and wounding some 50 others, including policemen who were gathering to distribute aid to displaced families.

Sporadic attacks continue in Iraq despite recent security gains.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2009)