15 people were killed and 30 others wounded in a car bomb explosion in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, a local police source said.

The blast happened when a car bomb was detonated on Tuesday in Shurja district of central Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, the police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The blast occurred at a time when US combat forces reached its deadline withdrawing from Iraqi towns and cities.

Security responsibilities was handed to Iraqi security forces. Both Iraqi and US officials have warned people of possible attacks in the sensitive moment.

(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2009)