Police spokesman Maj. Ghalib al-Karkhi says the family was not the intended target of Friday's bombing, which struck their car near the town of Buhriz. The town is a former stronghold of Saddam Hussein and is about 35 miles (60 kilometers) north of the capital.

While violence has dropped significantly in Iraq, militants continue to attack members of the Iraqi security forces, and civilians are often caught in the middle.

Iraqi forces are struggling to ensure security as the United States reduces its military presence in the country seven years after toppling Saddam.