A suicide car bomber struck a police patrol in the city of Mosul, some 400 km north of Baghdad, on Thursday, killing four policemen and wounding eight civilians, local police chief said.

"A suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden car into a passing police patrol near the Mosul Hotel in western city," Brigadier Muhammad al-Wagga, the city's police chief told Xinhua by telephone.

The attack completely destroyed a police vehicle, killing four policemen aboard and wounding eight bystanders, he said.

Insurgents frequently attack Iraqi security forces, accusing them of collaborating with the U.S. occupation.

Source: Xinhua