The attack is also aimed at “undermining the hopes of the Iraqi people for an improvement in their lives,” the mission, known as UNAMI, said in a statement issued today.

The mission “calls on all groups not to respond in the fashion that the killers want them to do: with revenge,” it added.

According to media reports, the car bombing took place in a predominantly Kurdish area of the northern city of Kirkuk on Tuesday evening, and led to at least 35 deaths and the wounding of 95 others.

The attack occurred on the same day that United States-led Multinational Forces withdrew from Iraqi cities, leaving security in the hands of the country’s own forces.

On Monday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke out against recent attacks in Iraq, calling on the people of the strife-torn nation to reject attempts to incite further violence as it takes full responsibility for security in its cities.

“The Secretary-General notes that Iraq has been benefiting from an improving security environment, and appeals to the people of Iraq to continue to reject these attempts to incite further violence in the country,” his spokesperson said in a statement.

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Deploring attacks, Ban appeals to Iraqis to reject incitement to violence