A suicide car bomber blew up his booby-trapped vehicle near a US military convoy in central Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least seven Iraqis and wounding 16 others, police said.

The car bomb was detonated at about 9:40 a.m. (0540 GMT) in the busy commercial Saadoun Street close to the site of the suicide car bombing that took place on Saturday, sending a big plume of black smoke into the sky.

The blast destroyed several civilian cars and smashed windows of several surrounding buildings and shops, according to witnesses.

Firefighters and ambulances rushed into the scene as security forces cordoned off the area.

The US military had no immediate information on casualties among the American soldiers.

Source: Xinhua