Tribal leader killed by suicide bomber in Iraq

A suicide bomber killed a prominent Sunni tribal leader and four of his guards in an attack in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a security source said Saturday.

The incident occurred late Friday night when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden tanker truck into the house of Sheikh Lorens al-Hathaal in Nekheib area, some 400 km south of the provincial capital city of Ramadi, the source told Xinhua news agency on condition of anonymity.

Sheikh Lorens Al-Hathaal is a former parliament member and the head of the Aniza tribe, which is a large Sunni tribe in Iraq and neighbouring countries of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Iraq's parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri condemned the attack and said "the hands of evil have reached one of Iraq's symbols, who was known for his patriotic positions whether during his performance in the parliament or within his outstanding tribal role in Anbar province".

The country has been witnessing some of the worst violence in years, killing at least 12,282 civilians and injuring 23,126 others in 2014, the deadliest year since the flare-up of sectarian violence in 2006-2007, according to a UN report.