Iraqi cops catch child suicide bomber moments before explosion

Iraqi authorities have caught a young boy moments before he tried to detonate a suicide belt strapped to his waist.

Dramatic video shows police officers ripping explosives off the boy - thought to be aged just 12 or 13 - in Kirkuk, north of Baghdad.

Stripped to the waist, the boy looks fearfully around as officers hold his arms out the side while they disarm him.

The boy reportedly burst into tears as he was detained by the officers, Kurdish news agency Rudaw reports.

The thwarted attack follows a disturbing increase in the use of child suicide bombers by ISIL.

On Sunday, a suicide bomber aged between 12 and 14 attacked a wedding in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.

The attack killed 51 people and injured 94, including the bride and groom.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said initial information suggested the attack was perpetrated by the Islamic State group.