By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Iraqi police said two people have been killed and 16 wounded in a car bombing in the northern city of Mosul.
A police official said an explosives-laden car was parked in a western section of the city and apparently targeted a police patrol.
The official said the two killed were civilian bystanders.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.
Violence has declined across Iraq but Mosul remains one of the most dangerous areas due to a heavy presence of al-Qaida in Iraq and other insurgents.
The 2 p.m. blast struck hours before Iraqi lawmakers voted to approve a security pact with the United States that would allow American forces to stay in Iraq for three more years.