BAGHDAD, April 2 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and up to 23 others injured when a bomb went off at a busy market in a town northeast of Baghdad on Monday, a source from Diyala provincial police said.

    A bomb hidden in a bag detonated around midday in the popular market in Khalis town, 75 km northeast of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    Elsewhere, the Iraqi police patrols found 19 bodies of civilians in Baquba City, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, the source said.

    The bodies were shot with bullets in the head, he said, adding that the victims were reportedly kidnapped late on Sunday by gunmen in an area near the Hibhib town, some 45 km northeast of Baghdad.

    Khalis and Hibhib are located in the volatile province of Diyala, which is believed to be a stronghold of Sunni militants.

    Violence persists in Baghdad and other Iraqi areas despite the presence of tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers across the country in a major security crackdown aimed at curbing insurgency and sectarian violence.