"Of the 24 children, five had a mental disability," Abdul Aziz Mohammed Jassim, the Interior Ministry's director of operations, said. "From analyzing the remains of the others, we established that they were homeless."

[On Oct. 6, at least 10 suspected Al Qaida operatives were captured in northern Iraq. The U.S. military said troops had been searching for an Al Qaida courier linked to the leadership.] In all, officials said, children comprise 20 percent of all Al Qaida suicide bombings. They said the use of children was easier and cheaper than the recruitment of adults.

Al Qaida's focus has been recruiting homeless and retarded children for suicide attacks, officials said. They said Al Qaida has also employed women to blow themselves up around Iraqi and U.S. targets.

Most of the women suicide bombers stemmed from Diyala. Officials said at least 16 women suicide attacks took place over the last four months in Diyala.

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