BAGHDAD, Sept. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- A car bomb blew up near a US military convoy in southern Baghdad on Monday, causing casualties, police said.

    "A car bomb detonated near a US convoy in Baghdad's southern district of Saiydiah, causing several casualties," an interior ministry source told Xinhua.

    The US troops have cordoned off the area preventing people as well as Iraqi police from approaching the scene, he said, adding itis not known whether the casualties were US forces or Iraqis.

    Earlier Monday, dozens of gunmen waged coordinated attacks on the interior ministry in eastern Baghdad, killing three policemen and wounding four others, police said. Enditem