Iraqi soldiers killed in suicide bombing attack

At least ten soldiers have been killed and a further 12 were injured when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden truck on a military base in northern Iraq.

Thursday's attack took place at the base outside the city of Mosul, about 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad, when the suicide bomber detonated the explosives at the gates of the facility, officials said.

A group of gunmen then opened fire from apparently commandeered military vehicles, sparking a shoot-out. At least ten troops were killed while eight fighters died amid the gunfire.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The latest attack come just two weeks ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for April 30.

Over the past months, Mosul and the surrounding region have seen bold attacks by fighters, mainly from an al-Qaida-splinter group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, against military and security forces.

The escalation in violence comes in a crucial time, as Iraqis prepare to hold parliamentary elections on April 30, the first such vote since U.S. forces left Iraq in 2001.

Violence has escalated in Iraq over the past year, with 2013 seeing the highest death toll since the worst sectarian bloodletting in 2007, according to United Nations figures. More than 8,800 people were killed in violence last year.