The bomber rammed his explosives-packed vehicle into a compound for an emergency response unit which had been moved to the city to help with security for Shiite mourning rituals earlier this month, a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Monday`s attack comes after a suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a bus filled with Shiite pilgrims near Samarra on February 12, killing 33 and wounding 28.
Samarra has a Sunni Arab majority but houses a major Shiite pilgrimage centre -- the gold-domed shrine of ninth century imam Hassan al-Askari.
February 12 marked the annual commemoration of his death, security for which the emergency response unit targeted on Monday was brought in to help with.
Tens of thousands of people died in violence sparked by the destruction of the Askari shrine`s gold dome by suspected Sunni extremists loyal to Al-Qaeda five years ago.
The mosque itself was built in 944, and the golden dome was added in 1905.
Shiite pilgrims have been repeatedly targeted by Sunni groups since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
(U.KR-BPY/H-AK/P003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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