Iraq bomb kills two bystanders

A car bomb has exploded in a northern city of Iraq that is rife with ethnic tensions, killing two bystanders and wounding 10 people.

Police said the car exploded this morning in southern Kirkuk as a security patrol was driving by.

The blast killed two people who happened to be near the car when it exploded. Ten people were wounded, including five policemen.

Police Captain Abdul Salam Zangana, who is posted at Kirkuk hospital, confirmed the casualties.

Kirkuk is located 180 miles north of Baghdad.

The city has long been plagued by disputes among Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen over land and oil fields.

A triple bombing in the city last week killed 27 people and wounded at least 60.