Three explosions aimed at Iraqi security forces ripped through the divided northern city of Kirkuk on Thursday morning, killing at least 25 people and wounding scores more. The attackers used a now-familiar tactic, detonating a small improvised explosive device attached to a sedan in a parking lot outside the local police headquarters. After police rushed to the scene, a larger car bomb went off, killing 17 officers and eight civilians. I didnt feel anything, said Kaweh Hama Rashid, a police officer wounded in the second blast. I just fell to the ground, and blood covered me. I saw all of my friends dying and wounded in front of my eyes. About 30 minutes later, a third car bomb exploded near the provincial government headquarters, wounding about 13 people including Kirkuks head of criminal investigation, the target of the explosion, security officials said. The attacks came at a fragile moment for Kirkuk, where Iraqs three main ethnic groups are grappling for control of the area and its rich oil reserves. The fight for primacy in Kirkuk among Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen is one of the most potentially volatile issues facing Iraq as American troops prepare to withdraw over the next six months.