At least 24 people have been killed and dozens hurt by a suicide bomber driving a Humvee at a checkpoint south of Baghdad, Iraqi officials say.
The checkpoint - near the town of Jurf al-Sakhar - was manned by Iraqi security forces and Shia militiamen.
The attackers are believed to be militants from Islamic State (IS), who lost control of the town to government-led forces over the weekend.
Iraqi security forces have been trying to retake territory from the militants.
Jurf-al-Sakhar was seized by IS during a lightning offensive this summer that gave the group control over a broad swath of territory spanning parts of Syria and northern Iraq.
The town, 50 km (30 miles) south of Baghdad, is seen as a strategic buffer between the militants' strongholds in Sunni Arab-dominated Anbar province and Shia-dominated southern Iraq. It also lies along a major pilgrimage route used by Shia Muslims.
Government forces and allied militia have spent months trying to wrest control of the Sunni Arab town from IS. The Humvee used in the attack is likely to have been captured from government forces, reports say.
The US has been carrying out air strikes since August to help Iraqi and Kurdish security forces drive back IS.
Dozens killed in Iraq suicide attack
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