NR: "The war in Iraq just keeps chipping away."


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Three hours after the suicide bombing at a family restaurant in Kirkuk, and the update includes information about the meeting of political rivals that was taking place there. But as Michael says, this one seems likely to become more heartbreaking as we get the full picture of what happened.


HEIDI COLLINS: Dozens of people dead in Iraq. A suicide bomber attacking a crowded restaurant during holiday celebrations.

CNN's Michael Ware is joining us now live from Baghdad with more details on what happened.

Hi, Michael.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, hey, Heidi.

Unfortunately, just a little over three hours ago, a suicide bomber plunged into a packed restaurant on this religious holiday, just outside the northern city of Kirkuk which is about 160 miles north of the capital Baghdad where I'm standing now.

From the mixed reports from various government officials that we're getting, it appears that around 50 people have died, and more than 90 have been wounded in this suicide bombing.

Now what we've just learned is that the president of Iraq's political party which dominates that city, Kirkuk, was having a meeting with rivals from an Arab bloc inside the restaurant. Yet shrouded around them were families there having a holiday feast.

And so we're led to believe by officials on the ground that the most gut-wrenching part of this may be yet to come, in that many of the victims are expected to be children. The restaurant was most popular with families, and it had a children's playground.

The war in Iraq just keeps chipping away, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Michael, we will be watching that story today, as it develops as well.

Thanks so much. Michael Ware, live from Baghdad this morning.