Bomb attack kills 4 in northern Iraq

A roadside bomb struck Wednesday an Iraqi army patrol in the city of Mosul, the capital city of northern Iraq's Nineveh province, killing four people and wounding six others, a provincial police source said.

The attack took place in the afternoon near the parking lot of al-Shimal in eastern Mosul, killing four civilians and injuring six, including a soldier, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

One of the patrol's vehicles and two civilian cars were damaged in the explosion which also caused damages to several nearby buildings and shops, he added.

Iraqi security forces immediately cordoned off the area to secure the scene while ambulances rushed victims to nearby hospitals.

Mosul, some 400 km north of Baghdad, is said to be one of the last strongholds of al-Qaida fighters in the war-torn country.

Nineveh province has been the scene of a major security crackdown by U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces. The crackdown was aimed at uprooting al-Qaida militants and other anti-U.S. insurgent groups.

Source: Xinhua