In Iraq, a car bomb explosion targeting shops selling alcohol in northern city of Kirkuk yesterday killed three civilians and wounded nine. <br/><br/>A security official said the blast damaged the shops and sparked a fire in three vehicles. <br/><br/>Kirkuk is the capital of the oil-rich province of the same name which is disputed by the federal government in Baghdad and the autonomous region of Kurdistan. <br/><br/> The blast comes as Kurdish leaders prepare to hold an independence referendum on September 25 in the face of fierce opposition from Baghdad and the Kurds' international backers.