Police: Bomb in northern Iraq kills 2

(AP) — A car bomb exploded Tuesday outside a police crime lab in northern Iraq, killing at least two people, Iraqi authorities said.

The bomb targeting the lab was the latest in a string of attacks against security forces in Mosul, an area where insurgents retain a foothold despite a sharp drop in violence across the rest of the country.

The car bomb was parked outside a side entrance to the lab in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, said Lt. Col. Salim Ibrahim, an area commander.

It wounded seven people, including five police officers, he said.

The explosion knocked over concrete blast walls and caused minor damage to the building, Ibrahim said.

In recent weeks in and around Mosul, security checkpoints have been attacked in drive-by shootings and the motorcade of the provincial governor was attacked.

Tuesday's attack follows a suicide bombing last month that destroyed the Baghdad's main crime lab and left at least 22 dead.

The attacks come at sensitive time for Iraqi security forces, who are under fire to shore up security after lapses that allowed for attacks against a number of government sites.