Blasts Hit Kirkuk Again

A string of bomb attacks in the northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk have killed at least 85 people and wounded more than 180.

A suicide bomber detonated a lorry near the offices of a Kurdish political party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), causing most of the casualties.

Witnesses to the attack on the offices of the PUK – a party led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani – said the massive explosion there left a crater several metres deep. More than 20 cars were destroyed, two buildings collapsed completely and a number of shops were also damaged.

Dozens of bodies are said to be buried in the rubble and the death toll is expected to rise. “Most of the wounded, which include women and children, are in a critical condition,” Kirkuk’s police chief told news agencies.

Two other bombs later went off in the city. No group has claimed the attacks.