At least 20 people have died in a suicide bomb attack at a funeral in the Iraqi province of Diyala, police officials have said, marking the deadliest attack in the governorate this year.

More than 20 others were injured in the attack on Friday at Hamreen cemetery in the town of al-Sadiyah, about 95km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Police say the attacker detonated an explosives vest as mourners gathered for the funeral for a Sunni policeman.

Most of the victims of the bombing appeared to be relatives of the dead policeman, an Iraqi police officer said.

The US military disputed the number of dead, saying only about seven people had been killed.

"A suspected suicide vest bomber attacked innocent civilians during a funeral in Mansuriyah [in Diyala province], northeast of Muqdadiyah, today at about 9.20am [06:20 GMT]," the US military told Al Jazeera.

"Initial reports indicate approximately seven local civilians were killed and 33 civilians were injured."

Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces have secured the area and US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters provided medical airlift for the injured, the US military said.

PHOTO CAPTION

Map of Iraq locating Diyala province

Al-Jazeera