UPDATE: Erbil suicide bomber believed to be woman

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—As Kurdish security investigates today’s bombing in front of Erbil governor’s office and the identity of the suicide bomber, a wounded eyewitness said that the attack was carried out by a woman.

““I saw a woman in black headscarf who had parked her Honda car on the wrong lane of the street, she moved a little forward and the explosion happened,” a man wounded in today’s attack told Rudaw on his hospital bed.

At 12:00pm on Wednesday a suicide bomber attacked the governor’s office near the ancient citadel, killing five people and wounding 29 others.

A video footage of the wreckage of the car used in the attack also shows a pair of women shoes.

“The suicide bomber had tried to enter the governor’s building but was fired upon by the security guards,” Erbil deputy governor Tahir Abdullah told Rudaw.

Officials said that four of the dead are members of the police force and one is civilian.

Eight other policemen were wounded in the attack.

“The security and anti-terror forces are investigating the attack to determine the identity of the bomber and those behind it,” said government spokesman Safeen Dizayee.

Kosrat Rasul, Kurdistan Region vice president condemned the attack, saying, “These crimes will not discourage us from fighting terrorism and clearing every inch of Kurdistan from terrorists,”

Meanwhile, Rudaw has learned from military officials that ISIS fighters near Mosul had congratulated each other in radio communication on the Erbil bombing, saying that, “One of our brothers just entered heaven.”