Car bomb at Kirkuk church wounds 15: Iraq police

KIRKUK: A car bomb attack on a Syrian Catholic church wounded 15 people in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Tuesday, as two other car bombings of Christian targets were foiled, police said.

The bomb exploded in front of the Holy Family church at about 5:30 am (0230 GMT), wounding 15 people including church staff and people in neighbouring houses, a high-ranking officer in the Kirkuk police said. The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that 30 homes in the area were damaged.

A medical source said five Christians including a nun were among the wounded.

Major General Jamal Taher Bakr, the Kirkuk police chief, said that two other car bombs -- one near the Mar Gorgis church and another at a Christian
Assyrian school -- were defused.