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BAGHDAD, Dec 24 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest killed seven police officers and wounded 30 more on Sunday in an attack on a police station in Muqdadiya, northeast of Baghdad, a police source said.

The source said the bomber walked into the police station and blew himself up. There were several more explosions in quick succession that may have been mortar attacks, the source said.

Muqdadiya, 90 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, is in Diyala, a province with a mixed population of Shi'ites and Sunni Arabs that has seen relentless sectarian violence.

Iraqi police and army are frequently targeted by insurgents, underlining the challenge faced by the U.S.-backed government which needs to bolster security forces as part of its goal to take over responsibility for security from U.S. forces.

The loyalties of some police officers have also been questioned, most recently in a U.N. report which said the police were deeply infiltrated by sectarian militias.

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