BAGHDAD, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a suicide bomb attack on a U.S.-Iraqi military base in northern Iraq on Monday rose to 40 and 15 others were wounded, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

    "We have 40 people killed and up to 15 wounded when a suicide bomber wearing an explosive-belt blew himself up at about 11:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) at a joint U.S. and Iraqi base at al-Kesik outside the Iraqi city of Mosul, some 400 km north of Baghdad," the source said on condition of anonymity.

    The base has served as an Iraqi army recruitment center, which is located on the main road between the two Iraqi northern cities of Mosul and Irbil, he added.

    Insurgents have frequently mounted attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces. Enditem