Bomb kills leader of anti-al Qaeda group

 Posted: 10:54 AM ET

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) – A leader of the Sons of Iraq anti-al Qaeda group was killed Saturday when a bomb attached to his vehicle exploded, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official told CNN.

The explosion occurred in southern Baghdad’s Dora district. Two civilians were wounded, the official said.

The Sons of Iraq, or Awakening Councils, are mainly comprised of former Sunni insurgents who turned against al Qaeda in Iraq. They are considered a major factor in the reduction of violence in Iraq over the past two years.