Four Iraqi primary school pupils were killed and two wounded on Monday when a booby-trapped car targeting security forces exploded.

Four Iraqi primary school pupils were killed and two wounded on Monday when a booby-trapped car targeting security forces exploded, security and medical officials said.

The vehicle had been parked near the school in the town of Hit, 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of Baghdad.

It exploded at around 8:00 am local time (0500 GMT) as the children were arriving for classes and as a security forces anti-terrorism unit passed by, the officials said.

Colonel Ayada al-Nimrawi, deputy police chief in Hit, said the blast killed four children and wounded another two. Dr Subhi Abad al-Alouani who attended the scene confirmed the toll.

They said members of the security patrol were unscathed.

Deadly attacks still occur almost every day across Iraq.