A suicide car bomb detonated on Friday near a US military convoy in the town of Dhuluiya, killing one and wounding 11 Iraqi civilians, witnessessaid.

"The attack took place at about 3:30 p.m. (1230 GMT), when asuicide bomber drove his car into the convoy," Umar al-Juboury, alocal resident told Xinhua.

Muayad Daham, a 25-year-old shop owner, died after he was transferred to Balad hospital, and the other 11 were slightly wounded inside their houses, Juboury said.

The blast also damaged a US Humvee, but it was not clear whetherany of the US soldiers was hurt in the attack, he added. Fivecivilian cars were also damaged.

US troops immediately sealed off the area and helicopters could be seen flying overhead.

Dhuluiyah, some 100 km north of Baghdad, has been a hotbed of Sunni insurgents who have been fighting the US forces in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003.

Source:Xinhua