BASRA, May 14: Nine Iraqi children were killed and seven wounded in the south of the country when unexploded ordnance they were playing with detonated, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

“Nine children were killed and seven were injured in Missan governorate on Monday when they were playing with unexploded ordnance,” David Wimhurst said at a press conference in Basra.

“This tragedy highlights the terrible danger that unexploded ordnance represents all around Iraq,” Mr Wimhurst said.

Kathryn Irwin, a spokeswoman for the UN Children’s Fund, said the ordnance that exploded was an Iraqi rocket.—AFP