A 13-year-old girl wearing a vest packed with explosives turned herself in to Iraqi police north of Baghdad yesterday because she did not want to become a suicide bomber, the US military said.

Iraqi forces in the restive city of Baquba removed the bomb from the girl, who then led them to a second vest, also loaded with explosives.

Lieutenant Commander David Russell, a US military spokesman, said: "Reports are that she approached the IPs (Iraqi police) saying she had the vest on and didn't want to go through with it. If she was forced to put on the vest or if she did it voluntarily, that is still being reviewed."

Female suicide bombers have become a weapon of choice for al-Qaeda in Iraq because women are less likely to be searched at checkpoints and also often wear long, black, Islamic robes that conceal explosives.

It is rare for such a young female, however, to be involved in an attack. The girl is now in police custody while the incident is investigated.

Al-Qaeda’s ability to conduct attacks in Iraq has suffered a blow following a crackdown by US and Iraqi forces over the past 18 months as well as a decision by many Sunni insurgents to turn against the extremist group.

The US military said yesterday that al-Qaeda conducted almost 300 bombings in 2007 in which more than 1,500 civilians were killed. The number of attacks in the first half of this year plunged to 28, in which 125 civilians were killed.

Despite the drop in attacks, the threat is ever-present.

At least 25 people were killed and 38 wounded yesterday when a male suicide bomber targeted a feast on the western outskirts of Baghdad to celebrate the release of a man from US detention. He was among the dead.

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