Deadly Car Bomb Rocks US Consulate In Iraq

Three people were killed and at least five wounded as a car bomb exploded outside the US consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, a rare attack in the Kurdish stronghold.

US officials said there were no American casualties among consulate personnel or guards.

The State Department said a "vehicle-borne improvised explosive device" detonated by the entrance to the heavily fortified compound.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, reported the SITE Intelligence Group.

The blast sent black smoke high above the Ankawa district, a predominantly Christian neighbourhood where foreigners patronise cafes.

The explosion came as a series of bombings hit public places in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least 29 people.

Irbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, is widely seen as the most secure part in the strife-torn country.

But the semi-autonomous region is a key partner in the US-led fight against Islamic State.

Helped by air strikes, the Kurdish peshmerga paramilitary have driven back the extremist militants.