In Iraq, at least 12 people were killed and 30 others injured in a double bomb blast outside a bank in the city of Tikrit on Thursday. Police said a number of soldiers were among the dead. The first attack took place before midday when a roadside bomb went off near a team of Iraqi soldiers gathering outside al-Rafidain Bank in central Tikrit to collect the salaries on behalf of their military units. A minute later, a suicide bomber wearing an explosive-vest blew himself up at the scene. The blasts destroyed several nearby vehicles and caused severe damages to the surrounding buildings. Iraqi security forces have sealed off the scene and the provincial authorities imposed curfew on the city until further notice.