Five people are dead after a suicide bomber blew up an explosives-filled vehicle at the entrance to a police unit in Iraq's southern city of Basra.
All of the victims were police personnel, including the 15 people who were wounded.
The large explosion damaged the building and destroyed or damaged several vehicles at the main gate of the compound belonging to a police rapid reaction unit.
Basra, which handles the bulk of Iraq's oil exports, has generally seen less attacks this year than other cities in the country.
There has been an overall decline in levels of violence since the peak of sectarian conflict in Iraq in 2006-2007.
Earlier this month, a bomb attack on an oil storage depot near the Zubair oilfield in Basra set one oil storage tank ablaze, but caused no casualties.
The last major attack in Basra occurred in March, when a roadside bomb targeting a US military convoy exploded near a civilian bus, killing six people and wounding a dozen.
US and Iraqi military officials say they believe attacks may rise ahead of a year-end deadline for the withdrawal of the last remaining US troops in Iraq.
However, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is considering requesting that some US military stay on in a training and advisory role.
