ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Six people were killed on Sunday in a series of explosions outside a security directorate in the capital of Iraq's usually peaceful autonomous Kurdistan region, security and medical sources said.
Gunfire could be heard after the blasts in Arbil that wounded a further 36 people, according to the city's health directorate. The victims were believed to be members of the Iraqi Kurdish security forces, known as asayesh.
Television footage showed the charred remains of at least three cars and another in flames. Smoke rose into the air and firefighters and ambulances were at the scene.
A statement published on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s website said one car had been targeted by asayesh before it blew up near the Interior Ministry.
The KRG statement also cited witnesses as saying five suicide bombers had been killed before they were able to detonate themselves.
(Reporting by Isabel Coles; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
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