Three bombs kill seven in Kirkuk

According to latest reports, three bombs have hit Iraq's northern city of Kirkuk killing at least seven people and injuring more than 70. The bombs exploded in quick succession near Kurdish security headquarters, two police officers are reported to be among the dead.

Kirkuk's Police Chief Maj Gen Jamal Tahir told AP news agency that, early this morning, a suicide bomber slammed his pickup truck into a wall near the Kurdish security headquarters. The second blast was near a gas station, the third occurred down a street from the first and was followed by gunshots.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but reports have emerged that militant extremists, Ansar al-Islam, have made threats. Kirkuk, which has a third of Iraq's oil reserves, is a disputed territory claimed by the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdish authorities in the north.

Sources: BBC News, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Euronews

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.