BAGHDAD, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed 15 people, including 7 policemen, and wounded 20 in Iraq's volatile northern Diyala province on Sunday, police said.

Police said the bomber targeted a police checkpoint in the town of Jalawla, north of Baghdad, one of many in Diyala where al Qaeda militants operate despite being driven out of other parts of Iraq.

Violence has fallen sharply across the country in recent months to some of its lowest levels since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, but insurgents have retained the ability to carry out bomb attacks.

Police and police recruits are a favourite target of insurgent groups such as al Qaeda, who view them as collaborators with the U.S. military. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Charles Dick)

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