A roadside bomb killed at least six people near the Iraqi capital on Friday, and gunmen with silenced weapons also shot dead three police officers in the city, security and medical officials said.

The bomb exploded in the main market in Al-Husseiniyah on Baghdad`s northeast outskirts, killing six and wounding 52, an interior ministry official said.

A medical source at the Sheikh al-Dhari hospital said it had received eight bodies and more than 50 wounded from the blast.

Meanwhile, gunmen opened fire on a police checkpoint in Bayaa in south Baghdad, killing three, the interior ministry official said. A medical official confirmed the toll.

With the latest violence, at least 157 people have died in attacks in Iraq since June 13 -- more than were killed during the entire month of May, according to official figures.

Violence in Iraq has declined dramatically since its peak in 2006-2007, but attacks remain common. A total of 132 Iraqis were killed in violence in May, according to official figures.

Source: ANTARA