3 killed in suicide car bombing near US Consulate in Erbil

A suicide car bomb struck near the US Consulate in Erbil on Friday, killing two civilians and the attacker and injuring eight others, including an American woman, the district police chief said.

The large explosion occurred at 5:40 pm, a busy time in the Christian neighborhood of Ainkawa popular with Westerners. The explosive-laden car detonated outside the heavily guarded gates of the US Consulate and compound that houses diplomats and staff.

Gunfire erupted for several minutes  after the blast but has since stopped, witnesses told Rudaw. 

According to initial reports, security guards tried to stop an attacker, possibly in a vehicle, when the explosive detonated. 

A source at nearby Rojhalat Hospital confirmed the deaths and the injury to a US citizen. 

A US official has been quoted saying US Consulate personnel are all unharmed and accounted for.