TEMPO.CO, Erbil - At least six people were killed in a suicide attack in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region on Wednesday, November 19, 2014. Three civilians and two police officers were among the victims.
"Dozens of people were also injured when the attacker tried to drive his vehicle into the governorate building, only to be cut down by guards' gunfire," according to Al Jazeera news media.
Erbil, in the autonomous Kurdish region, is a very well-secured area. There has not been any claim on the attack, however the local government suspected that it was done by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ISIS who overran expanes of northern Iraq this summer, have reportedly launched seven attacks against the Kurdistan.
Nawzad Hadi, Erbil's mayor, said that the bomber tried to enter the citadel grounds but failed, so the bomber detonated his explosives-laden car outside the complex.
Previous attacks in the city have targeted the building of the Interior Ministry. The last major attack in Erbil occured a year ago, when fighters launched a coordinated suicide and car bomb attack on the headquarters of Erbil’s security services.
RINDU P. HESTYA | AL JAZEERA