An Iraqi security official says a car bomb has exploded in a western village near the Syrian border, killing two people and wounding two others.

The official said the blast occurred Thursday afternoon in the village of Karabila, which until two years ago was controlled by the Islamic State group. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Despite its defeat in Iraq in 2017, IS sleeper cells have been blamed for attacks across the country that have killed and wounded scores of people over the past two years.

The Iraqi military said in a statement that the car had exploded while parked in the village but did not give a death toll. The statement said more details would be released.