Iraq car bomb kills at least 10 people in north

Officials say a car bombing in northern Iraq has killed at least 10 people and wounded 12 others.

A police officer says the parked explosives-laden car targeted a joint Iraqi army and police patrol while it passed through a busy commercial area in the city of Mosul today. He added that at least five civilians and five security personnel were killed in that blast.

A medical official confirmed the figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release information.

Mosul is located about 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad.

Violence has escalated in Iraq over the past year, with 2013 seeing the highest death toll since the worst of 2007's sectarian bloodletting, according to the United Nations figures.