BAGHDAD, June 7 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and 11 others wounded on Tuesday in a car bomb explosion near a commercial building in the Shiite holy city of Karbala in south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a police source said.
The blast occurred around noon when a booby-trapped car detonated near al-Jawahiri commercial building in Muwadhafin district in the city of Karbala, some 110 km south of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The blast set fire to the commercial building and several nearby shops, the source said, adding that a column of black smoke could be seen rising above area.
The toll could rise as ambulances, police and civilian vehicles evacuated the victims to the nearby hospitals and medical centers, the source added.
A report by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq estimated that 867 Iraqis were killed and 1,459 others wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflicts in May across Iraq.