Nine Iraqi children killed in an explosion in Missan

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 Wednesday.

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

"This tragedy highlights the terrible danger that unexploded ordnance represents all around Iraq," he added.

Kathryn Irwin, a spokeswoman for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), said the ordnance that exploded was an Iraqi rocket.