Explosion rocks central Kirkuk, kills one, injures five

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An explosion rocked central Kirkuk early Thursday, killing one person and injuring at least five others, a security source and witnesses said.

The explosion was caused by a roadside bomb and occurred near a pedestrian bridge near tire shops in an area called Baghdad Road; a market densely crowded with civilians.

A security source told Kurdistan 24 that an IED was hidden on the side of the road and exploded when government staff members were heading to their workplace.

The blast killed one person and wounded five others who were immediately taken to the General Hospital for treatment, the source added.

Some witnesses said the explosion occurred near the Haja Sabriya mosque, an area where similar bombings have taken place in the past, some of which are said to have been organized by the Islamic State (IS).

“The blast occurred at the entrance to the municipality’s technical workshop,” one witness told Kurdistan 24.

Due to the explosion, large machinery from some of the shops and cars passing by at the time of the incident were either damaged or entirely destroyed.

There were similar incidents in early October, where two other explosions, one caused by a sticky bomb and the other by a car bomb, rocked Kirkuk, injuring at least eight people.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Editing by Nadia Riva