Gunmen kill 10 Iraqi soldiers near northern Mosul

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Gunmen killed 10 Iraqi soldiers and wounded one in an attack on a military checkpoint near the northern city of Mosul on Thursday, an army officer said.

The source said at least 40 gunmen attacked the checkpoint, which was manned by 11 soldiers, at dawn in a town 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Mosul, setting vehicles on fire and seizing the soldiers' weapons.

"Apparently the soldiers were asleep when the attack happened, they were taken by surprise and did not have a chance to respond," said the officer, who declined to be identified.

Two suicide truck bombs killed two people and wounded 17, most of them soldiers, in an attack on an army base east of Mosul on Sunday.