Al-Qaeda group claims deadly attack ahead of Iraqi invasion anniversary

BAGHDAD (AFP) - An Al-Qaeda-linked group claimed a brazen attack on a ministry and a bombing in southern Iraq that left 10 people dead on Sunday as a study said at least 112,000 civilians were killed since the 2003 United States-led invasion.

Ahead of the anniversary of the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein, the latest violence raises fresh questions about the security forces' ability to prevent attacks such as the March 14 assault on the justice ministry claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI).

The attack involved a series of mid-day bombings in central Baghdad's Allawi neighbourhood, adjacent to the Green Zone, home to several government buildings and the American and British embassies. As the bombs went off, militants stormed the ministry complex, clashing with security forces.

Accounts differed as to the success of the attack, but one official said two insurgents managed to detonate suicide vests inside the ministry building.