Several vehicles were destroyed in the explosion
A suicide car bomber has killed at least six people in the Iraqi Kurdish capital, Irbil, local media say.
The blast, accompanied by gunfire, was reported outside the governor's office, close to the historic citadel in the city centre.Iraqi Kurds and Iraqi government forces have been battling an advance by Islamic State (IS) militants, but Irbil has largely avoided major attacks.
The oil city has a reputation as a safe base for foreigners.
It has also received thousands of refugees fleeing the IS advance this summer.
The bomb exploded just before midday local time (09:00 GMT) on Wednesday at the main checkpoint outside the governor's building, an official told AFP news agency.
Images from the scene showed burnt vehicles and a bloodstain on the pavement.
According to the local Rudaw TV channel, two of the dead were police officers.
The Iraqi Kurdish health ministry said 22 people were being treated for their injuries.
No group has said it carried out the attack.
Speaking to reporters after the blast, the governor of Irbil, Nawzad Hadi, linked the attack to the threat from terrorism in the region.
Irbil is the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, which enjoys broad autonomy from the government in Baghdad.
Iraqi Kurdish forces, backed by US air strikes, have been trying to drive out IS militants from the territory they have seized in neighbouring provinces.
