BAGHDAD, Jan. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- A suicide car bomb blast struck a joint U.S. and Iraqi military patrol in southwestern Baghdad on Monday, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

   "A suicide bomber drove his explosive-packed car into a joint U.S. and Iraqi patrol and detonated at about 11:10 a.m. (0810 GMT) at the al-Swaiyb district," the source said on condition of anonymity.

   It was not clear whether there were any casualties as U.S. troops cordoned off the area and prevented Iraqi police and civilians from approaching the scene, he said.

   The Iraqi interim government and the U.S. military have expected a rise in insurgent violence since the final results of the Dec. 15 Iraqi general elections were announced on Friday, which showed Shiites have remained dominant in the new legislature. Enditem