Roadside bomb kills 4 Iraqi soldiers

Four Iraqi soldiers were killed and two were injured when a roadside bomb exploded in the restive province of Diyala on Thursday, a senior police officer said.

The attack took place in Balad Ruz, a town 70 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, said the officer, who asked not to be named.

"Four Iraqi soldiers were killed and two others wounded when a roadside bomb targetted their patrol," he said.

Diyala, in central Iraq, is considered one of the most dangerous areas of the country, where Al-Qaeda and various insurgent groups still manage to launch attacks despite a general decrease in violence levels elsewhere.