Two people were killed and 11 others wounded when a roadside bomb struck a police patrol in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, an Interior Ministry source said.

"The explosion took place at about 7:40 AM (03:40 GMT) in the Sakhrah intersection on the Palestine Street when a police patrol was passing by," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The blast killed two people, including a police officer, and wounded 11 others, including five policemen, the source said. The blast damaged two police vehicles and two nearby civilian cars, he added.

Insurgents frequently attack Iraq's fledgling security forces accusing them of collaborating with US occupation.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2006)