Officials have reported that two bombs struck Tikrit, Iraq earlier this morning, killing 12 people and wounding 34 others. A suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside of a bank which was immediately followed by the explosion of a car bomb in the same region. Iraqi soldiers were allegedly the targets of the plot, marking the fourth attack on Iraqi security forces in Tikrit this year.
Authorities claimed that three soldiers were among the casualties of the blast and many others were wounded. The attack was also said to have taken place at a government owned Rafidain bank where police officers were picking up their monthly salaries; it is unreported how many died or were wounded at the scene. The blast also allegedly caused severe damage to surrounding buildings and vehicles.
Video footage captured the aftermath of the blast in which an enormous cloud of smoke engulfed the targeted bank. The video also shows firefighters struggling to out the flames on nearby vehicles.
