A suicide bomber who detonated his explosives-packed truck outside a bank in the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk killed at least two people on Thursday, police said.

The attacker set off the explosion as many workers were queueing at the bank to collect their salaries on the last working day of the month, a police officer said.

"One woman and one man were killed and 73 others were wounded," said police Major Salam Hama Zangana. He said the wounded were transferred to two hospitals in the city.

Another police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, put the toll at two dead and 58 wounded, most of them police but also including bank employees and civilians.

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the blast caused massive damage to the bank and surrounding buildings. Several police vehicles were set on fire, and access to the bank was blocked.

Iraq's northern Kurdish region wants to incorporate Kirkuk province, which is ethnically mixed and rich in energy, into its three-province autonomous area, a move strongly opposed by the authorities in Baghdad.

Violence is down nationwide since its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common. A total of 239 people were killed in violence in Iraq in August, according to official figures.

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