Car bomb in Tikrit kills 15

At least 15 people were killed and 22 injured when a car bomb exploded on Thursday inside the police headquarters in Saddam Hussein's hometown, Tikrit, police and eye witnesses said.

Twenty cars caught fire after the massive blast, sending clouds of smoke into the sky.

Eye witnesses said they saw at least 10 charred bodies lying on the ground.

Police Lieutenant Sha'alan Allawi said the bomber might have driven a vehicle loaded with explosives into a parking lot inside the building.

Police Captain Hakim Mohammed, part of a force protecting Tikrit's main hospital where most of the casualties were brought, confirmed that 15 people were dead.

US troops sealed off the area immediately after the blast.