Civilian killed, ten injured in booby-trapped vehicle explosion in Kirkuk
An IED explosion. File photo.
“A terrorist attack took place using a booby-trapped vehicle in Adan district in Kirkuk,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
“As per preliminary information, a civilian was killed and 10 others were wounded,” the ministry said.
According to a security source, the blast occurred near a store that sells alcohols in the center of the province.
The blast comes few days before an anticipated referendum on independence of Kurdistan, scheduled for September 25.
Last month, Kirkuk provincial council voted on including the province in the referendum. Kirkuk is one area where Kurdistan Region disputes sovereignty with Iraq.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
A monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which excludes security members deaths, said 297 Iraqis, were killed and injured due to violence and armed conflicts during the month of ِAugust. Baghdad was the most affected province with 45 deaths and 135 injuries.
Despite the group’s defeat in its main havens across Iraqi provinces, observers believe the group may still constitute a security threat.