Suicide bomber targets motorway restaurant near Iraq's Tikrit

At least three people have been killed and almost a dozen wounded after a suicide bomber carried out an attack on a  highway restaurant popular with Iraqi security forces, near Tikrit.

Iraqi police and medical sources announced that the attack so far has killed three people and injured 11 after the attacker detonated the explosives by the Qalaa restaurant, according to Reuters.

The restaurant is one that commonly hosts members of security forces and parliamentary fighters.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Despite suicide bombings being one a typical method used by Islamic State group militants to kill security forces and civilians, Iraqi security officials said the organisation might not be behind this attack.

On Monday, the Baghdad government executed by hanging seven of its citizens convicted of "terrorism", the head of the health ministry in the southern province of Dhi Qar.

Doctor Abdel Hassan al-Jabri said the bodies of the seven men were handed over on Monday to the morgue of the state hospital of Nassiriya, the provincial capital.

They had been tried and convicted on charges of "terrorism", he said.

In December, Iraq declared "victory" over the Islamic State group after a three-year war against the militants who once controlled nearly one third of the country.