Baghdad  - Iraq's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that 17 were injured when suicide bomber blew himself up at a military base in western Iraq, contradicting earlier reports that 16 were killed.

It was reported earlier that the bomber blew himself up inside a restaurant in al-Habania military base in Anbar province, killing 16 and injuring more than 50.

The defence ministry statement said there were no fatalities.

The attack took place at lunchtime when officers and soldiers were eating in a big dining hall, the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency reported.

Iraqi security forces are frequently targeted by roadside bombs in the streets, but the latest attack saw the bomber succeed in obtaining entry to a military base.

It was not immediately clear if US soldiers were among the casualties, said al-Jazeera satellite channel. The military base, was used by both US and Iraqi troops.

On Wednesday, at least 14 people were killed and 23 injured when a car bomb targeted security guards at a petroleum company in the northern city of Kirkuk.

US officials say security in Iraq has improved dramatically despite the latest attacks.

Responsibility for security in majority Sunni Muslim Anbar province was handed over to Iraqi forces last September. Sunni tribal members, known as Awakening Councils, have been credited with pacifying the province, once a stronghold of the al-Qaeda terrorist network. (dpa)