Via Fox News:
DEVELOPING….A car bomb exploded outside the U.S. Consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil Friday.
A blast and gunfire was heard in central Irbil, a Reuters witness said, which is unusual in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
There was no official word on injuries, but a U.S. official said no consulate personnel or guards were hurt or killed in Friday’s blast. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press.
A security source in Iraq told Fox News an explosion occurred near the American consulate, close to a church named Mar Yusef.
The large blast went off just outside the consulate building in Irbil’s Ankawa neighborhood, setting nearby cars on fire, an Associated Press reporter on the scene said. Kurdish security forces quickly arrived on the scene.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Iraqi government forces and allied Shiite and Sunni fighters– backed by airstrikes from the U.S.-led international coalition– are battling Islamic State militants to retake key cities and territory in northern and western Iraq.
Update:
ISIS claims responsibility for bombing near U.S. Consulate in Irbil, Iraq; officials say at least 2 people killed. http://t.co/8kYaSricCP
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 17, 2015