A suicide car bomb blew up Monday morning outside the house of an Iraqi national guards officer in the Iraqi city of Balad, north of Baghdad, killing five Iraqis and wounding 20 others, witnesses and medical sources said.

"A suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden vehicle outside the house of the officer which is close to a primary school at about 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and blew his vehicle, causing several casualties," the witnesses in Balad police told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, a source in Balad Hospital said that they had received five bodies and 20 injured people.

The officer was identified as Major Muhamed Abdul Muttalib. It was not immediately clear whether he was among the casualties, saidthe police.

US and Iraqi forces have rushed to the area, sealing it off and preventing people from approaching to the scene.

Insurgents frequently attack Iraq's fledgling security forces and accuse them of collaborating with the US troops.

Source: Xinhua