Initial reports from police and health officials indicate 32 people were killed and at least 75 injured, AFP reported. At least six Iraqi security force members were among the killed.
The bombing targeted a crowded local market in the Kurdish al-Askari neighbourhood, according to Rudaw sources.
The injured have been taken to a hospital in Kirkuk, about 75 km to the northwest.
Tuz Khurmatu, located in Saladin province, came under the control of Iraqi forces and the Iranian-backed Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi on October 16 when they drove out the Kurdish Peshmerga.
The town has witnessed intra-ethnic violence in the past, though the situation had been calmer this year. Tuesday's explosion is the first such incident since the town came under Iraqi control.
The threat of ISIS also still remains. Militants continue to carry out “movements” in some areas, acting Peshmerga Minister Karim Sinjari said on Monday.
No group has yet claimed responsibility.
Updated at 7:02 pm
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