BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- At least 12 people have been killed and 45 others wounded in a suicide bombing attack in central .

Police said the attack took place on Monday evening at a cafe in Balad, a Shiite-majority town some 80 kilometers north of the capital, Baghdad. The blast occurred after an unidentified suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt in the cafe.

Violence has risen dramatically in Iraq in recent months. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq recently reported that over one thousand Iraqis were killed and more than 2,300 wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in July, making it the deadliest month in more than five years.

(Source: CNTV.cn)