Massive Explosions in Kirkuk

According to Iraqi police, hospital and morgue sources, at least 24 people died as a result of seven apparently related bomb explosions in one of Iraq's oil-rich cities, Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad, on Tuesday morning, Reuters informs.


One of the bombs was placed in a car, which exploded outside the house of the chief of police in Kirkuk, leading to his severe injuring and to the death of one of his guards. Another bomb, planted by the roadside, blasted 10 people and wounded 11 civilians as the US forces, alongside police ones, attempted to gather in the area to investigate.

In a seemingly separate incident, a bomb exploded outside a law college, killing one civilian and injuring two, while another one, which targeted a law enforcement patrol, killed 10 persons and wounded two police officers.
Another deadly event focused on a suicide bomber, who attempted to attack a police station in Kirkuk. As police tried to respond, he blew himself up, killing two police officers and wounding 10 individuals.

Police sources also confirmed the incident regarding another suicide bomber who blew himself up when he arrived at one of the Jalal Talabani-led Kurdish party local offices, The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which resulted in the injury of two persons. Another militant fighter attempted to attack the respective building but was shot by police guards.

Kirkuk has so far proved to be an extremely inflammable and divided city, due to the fact that it hosts many ethnic groups which do not mix together, thus creating a highly explosive issue the city has to confront with.