Roadside bomb kills nine Iraqi soldiers near Mosul

Iraqi officials say a roadside bomb has struck a bus carrying Iraqi soldiers, killing nine and injuring five more near the northern city of Mosul.

Iraqi military and police officials say the blast hit the vehicle on Wednesday afternoon on the highway between Mosul and the town of Tal Afar, 260 miles (420 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the soldiers were on vacation.