Baghdad - A car bomb on Wednesday ripped through the motorcade of a university dean in Baghdad, killing at least four people and injuring another 10, local media reported.

Islamic University dean Ziad al-Aany escaped the assassination attempt in the Azamia district in north-eastern Baghdad.

Al-Aany was leaving the campus with his security guards when the explosion took place. Two of the security guards were killed in the explosion, the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency reported.

Al-Aany is also Assistant Secretary General of the Iraqi Islamic Party, which is led by Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi.

Violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq the past year, but attacks are still frequent. (dpa)