A powerful bomb tore through an armored car near a disputed town north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing two officials and badly wounding a third, weeks ahead of Iraq’s first polls since 2010.

A powerful bomb tore through an armored car near a disputed town north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing two officials and badly wounding a third, weeks ahead of Iraq's first polls since 2010.

The blast, which also killed one of the officials' bodyguards and wounded another in the town of Tuz Khurmatu, brings to 11 the number of candidates in the provincial council elections who have been killed.

Mayor Shallah Abdul, Council Chief Abdulqader Naimi and Salaheddin Provincial Councilor Rashid Khorshid had been travelling together to inspect a road paving project north of the town when the bomb went off close to their armored car.

Naimi and Khorshid, both candidates in provincial elections due to be held on April 20, were killed, and Abdul was badly wounded and transported to a hospital in Sulaimaniyah.