Twenty-four Iraqi children and one US soldier have been killed...

Twenty-four Iraqi children and one US soldier have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack in south-eastern Baghdad.

US forces say 18 more children were wounded, along with two US soldiers.

"A driver approached one of the US Humvees and then detonated his car," Sergeant David Abrams said.

"One US soldier was killed and two wounded," he said.

One eyewitness, Mohammed Ali Hamza, says US forces turned up in the Al-Jedidah district to warn residents to stay indoors because of reports of a car bomb in the area.

"Children gathered round the Americans who were handing out sweets. Suddenly a suicide car bomber drove round from a side street and blew himself up," he said.

"I was at home. I heard the explosion. I rushed outside to find my son. I only found his bicycle," said Abu Hamed, whose 12-year-old son was killed in the attack.

He was speaking from Kindi Hospital where hundreds of distraught parents are mingled in the hallways, shouting and screaming.

He says he found his son in the hospital morgue.

"I recognised him from his head. The rest of the body was completely burnt," he said.

Hassan Mohammed, whose 13-year-old son also died, is angry at insurgents for attacking civilians.

"Why do they attack our children? They just destroyed one US Humvee but they killed dozens of our children," he said.

"What sort of a resistance is this? It's a crime."

- AFP

Dave R.