An Iraqi governor on Tuesday survived an assassination attempt when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the official's convoy, killing one civilian and wounding 17, police said.
The attacker, wearing a belt of explosives hidden beneath his clothing, approached the convoy at 9:35 am as it was driving slowly through the centre of Kirkuk near the city's main public hospital, said police Brig Sarat Qadir.
The man tried to get inside the governor's car, but when the door was locked he blew himself up, Qadir said.
Governor Abdul Rahman Mustafa and his bodyguards were not harmed, but the powerful blast hit civilians standing nearby, killing one of them and wounding 17, the officer said.
Kirkuk's population is a mix of Kurds, Arabs and ethnic Turkmen. Hundreds have been killed in sectarian and ethnic fighting in the past three years.