Monday, September 18 2006 11:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kirkuk (Iraq): Iraq's fragile northern oil city of Kirkuk yesterday (Sept 17, 2006) buckled under a wave of bombingstargeting the security forces and killing at least 27 people.

The most dramatic attack came when a bomber firing a machine gun with one hand and driving a bomb laden truck with the other detonated his vehicle near a police centre killing at least 19 people, officials said.

Six other blasts rocked the city, killing another eight people.

The bombings in the north come at a time when Iraq, mainly Baghdad, is witnessing its own surge in sectarian violence between the dominant Shiite and the once powerful Sunni Arabs, with another 26 corpses recovered yesterday.

The day's finds took to more than 180 the number of people killed in the latest bout of communal bloodletting since Tuesday.

"The attack on the Kirkuk police investigation centre, which wounded at least 65 people including the head of the unit, was clearly aimed at Iraq's fledgling security forces," police said.

"He drove towards the centre, firing the gun with one hand randomly to push back civilians, and then detonated the truck in front of the centre," a Kirkuk police officer said.

Those killed included six women and two children who had gone to see imprisoned relatives as Sunday is visitation day.

Around half an hour after the attack, a car bomb exploded in front of the Mahaba wa Tasamah (Love and Forgiveness) foundation killing one woman and wounding four others.