BAGHDAD, May 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The death toll in a suicide car bombing in central Baghdad on Saturday rose to 17, including 10 Iraqis and seven foreigners, police said. About 40 people, most of them passers-by, were wounded in the attack on a convoy of SUVs at a busy commercial area in central Baghdad.

    According to police, three armored SUVs, often used by foreign contractors, were seen totally charred at the scene along with 11 civilian cars. Several shops were also set a blaze by the huge blast.

    "The convoy of the SUVs approached in a wrong-side way in SadounStreet heading to al-Jamhuriyah bridge and a suicide bomber apparently was waiting for them in a subway," a traffic police captain told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    "The suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the convoy, destroying three SUVs and a car for their bodyguards along with some 11 civilian cars nearby," he said.

    One of the damaged civilian cars was a school minibus with many partially burned text books scattered on the minibus, a Xinhua correspondent said.

    Many roadside book shops were badly damaged.

    The charred vehicles sent plumes of black smoke over the area situated on the east bank of Tigris River.

    The attack took place at 11:10 a.m. (0710 GMT) targeting the convoy of utility vehicles in Tahrir Square, a crowded commercial area in central Baghdad. Enditem