Suicide bomber attacks Iraq governor's convoy

KIRKUK, Iraq, Nov 28: A man wearing an explosive vest blew himself up next to the convoy of the governor of a northern Iraqi province today, killing a passerby and wounding 12 people, the governor and health officials said.

''It was the third assassination attempt on my life, but it will not stop me doing my job,'' Kirkuk governor Abdul-Rahman Mustafa told Reuters after escaping the attack unharmed.

Oil-rich Kirkuk has witnessed a spate of bombings in recent months amid tensions between the Kurdish and Sunni Arab populations.

Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, is disputed by Sunni Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen. Its final status is one of Iraq's most sensitive issues.

REUTERS