Double suicide blast kills 30 in Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers killed 30 people and wounded 65 others when they detonated explosive vests in a busy market in a town northeast of Baghdad on Thursday, Iraqi police said.

Police said the second bomber struck as crowds rushed to evacuate the wounded from the first attack, a common tactic used by bombers to maximize casualties.

Suicide bombings are a tactic mainly employed in Iraq by Sunni Arab militant groups such as al Qaeda.

Iraq has seen a surge in violence over the past month, mainly involving clashes pitting Shi'ite militias against U.S. and government troops in Baghdad and the south.

But Sunni Arab al Qaeda has also struck with a number of large suicide bombings in the north.

Iraqi government figures show April was the deadliest month for civilians since August last year.

(Writing by Peter Graff, Editing by Dean Yates)