A car bomb explosion that rocked the front of the U.S. Consulate in the Iraqi city of Irbil on Friday has left one dead, according to Reuters.
Five others were reportedly injured in the explosion that was caused by a "vehicle-borne improvised explosive device," the State Department announced. The department also confirmed that no U.S. personnel were killed. The blast went off near the entrance to the "heavily guarded compound," Reuters reported.
"A car bomb exploded outside the entrance to the U.S. consulate," Nihad Qoja, the mayor of Erbil's city center, told Reuters. "It seems the consulate was the target."
Qoja also confirmed the death and injury toll to Reuters.
An eyewitness told Reuters gunfire could be heard after the explosion.
The Kurdistan autonomy zone, of which Irbil is the capital, is a vital stronghold for the U.S. and Iraq in the fight against Islamic State militants. It is one of the few usually safe areas in war-torn Iraq.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
