BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities say a car bomb has exploded outside a police crime lab in northern Iraq, killing at least two people.

A police official says the bomb that targeted the lab in Mosul exploded at about 7:30 a.m. local time Tuesday.

The official said seven people were also wounded.

A hospital official confirmed the causalities. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to release the information.

It's the latest in a string of attacks in recent weeks in Mosul, a city where insurgents retain a foothold despite a sharp drop in violence across the rest of the country. The attack follows one last month against Baghdad's main crime lab that left at least 22 dead.