A suicide bomber killed 26 people including the police chief of the Iraqi city of Baquba today in a mosque compound where local Shia and Sunni Arab leaders were holding reconciliation talks.
Two other senior police officers were killed while tribal leaders were among 50 people wounded in the attack in the local capital of Diyala province. Police said there were reports the governor of Diyala had also been wounded.
The attack bore the hallmarks al-Qaeda, which has said it was launching a new round of attacks to mark the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The group has specifically warned it would attack tribal leaders cooperating with the security forces.
The bomber entered the compound while senior police officers, local government officials and tribal leaders were taking part in reconciliation talks and attending a meal to mark the breaking of the daily fast, police said.
The negotiations were aimed at easing tensions in the city, 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad.
Iraqi state television said members of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, a large Sunni Arab insurgent group, were among those taking part in the talks.
Separately, Iraq said no action would be taken against US security firm Blackwater over a shooting in which 11 people were killed until after a joint investigation with US officials.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had vowed to freeze the work of Blackwater, which guards the US embassy in Baghdad, and prosecute its staff over the shooting eight days ago which he called a crime.
But Iraq has since appeared to soften its stand.