6 Killed and Dozens Injured in Erbil Suicide Attacks

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Six people were killed and more than 40 others injured in Erbil today after suicide bombers tried to storm the main security headquarters, said a statement by the security office.

“A minibus driven by a suicide bomber tried to storm the security office in Erbil, but he was fired upon and killed by the guards, and as a result the vehicle exploded,” read a stamen from the Erbil security.

Kurdistan’s Minister of Health Rekawt Rashid said in a press conference that most of the victims are from the police and security forces.

“Immediately following the explosion four suicide bombers armed with weapons and hand grenades attacked and tried to enter the security headquarters, but they were killed by the guards,” read the security statement.

The attacks happened at 1:24 p.m. according to security officials.

Minutes after the first attack, said the official statement, a second suicide bomber had arrived at their headquarters, driving an ambulance packed with explosives.

But the health minister denied that any of their ambulances had exploded. One ambulance was damaged in the attack while trying to rescue the victims, he said.

The Kurdistan Region has been the safest part of Iraq, escaping much of the violence that raged the rest of the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

“Our forces have undoubtedly foiled many such plans in the past six years,” said Erbil security.

Today’s attacks came as the Kurdistan Region was celebrating a successful parliamentary election.