ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An explosives expert said Islamic State used a form of plastic explosive known as Composition C-4 in its suicide car bombing on Friday in Erbil, producing a massive blast that killed two civilians, now known to be Turkish citizens, and the attacker. The bombing occurred near the heavily guarded entrance to the US Consulate in the historically Christian district of Ainkawa, a neighborhood popular with foreigners. Security officers attempted to stop the vehicle when it detonated its C-4 payload, torching nearby vehicles and injuring eight civilians, including a young American woman who received cuts and burns. Marie Harf, acting spokesperson for US State Department told reporters no US personnel were harmed and had praise for the emergency teams. "Host nation fire assets responded to extinguish the fire. Local authorities have also responded and are securing the area. We appreciate the rapid response of the Kurdistan Regional Government authorities to this matter, and we will work with them to investigate the incident to determine the facts behind the explosion,” Harf said. The Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement confirming the citizenship of the two victims, with heath officials from the Kurdistan region announcing they were also ethnic Kurds. "We support the Kurdistan region in the war on terror," Ankara's statement read. Shortly after the deadly attack the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Reuters news agency cited an Islamic State account on Twitter saying fighters from its Kirkuk division "were able to detonate a car bomb on the building of the American Consulate in the city, which led to killing and wounding many of them."
