Shooting in northern Iraqi town kills 12 - police, hospital sources

Baghdad: Three gunmen opened fire on a popular cafe in the northern Iraqi town of Balad overnight, killing at least 12 people and wounding 25, police and hospital sources said on Friday.

The attack on the mainly Shi`ite town 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad lasted for around 10 minutes during the start of the weekend in Iraq.

The area is heavily secured, requiring the attackers to pass three police checkpoints before reaching their target, said police sources who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

The shooting follows the bloodiest attacks in the capital on Wednesday, when bombings claimed by Islamic State killed at least 80 people.