Get your Monday Morning Surge on.

BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber slammed his truck into a densely populated residential area in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar on Monday, killing at least 28 people, including 19 children, local authorities said.

The attack occurred in a crowded Shiite neighborhood of the religiously mixed city, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad.

The powerful blast caused houses to collapse in the morning as many families were getting ready for the day ahead, and officials said the death toll could rise.

"Rescue teams are still searching for casualties among the rubble," said Ali Abbo, the head of the human rights committee.

He said the hospital in Tal Afar had been filled to capacity, forcing the ambulances to take many victims to Dahuk, about 45 miles to the north.

Meanwhile, via the LATimes, Petraeus brags of 'slow and steady' progress in an area of Iraq where the 'surge' has been surging for nearly a year.

Wheeeeeeee!

-Diane