Up to 24 people are believed to have been killed and at least 18 wounded by a car bomb in Baghdad.

The attack on Wednesday occurred near a patrol of US forces, police sources said.

US troops said one US soldier and many Iraqi civilians were killed by the blast, including at least seven Iraqi children. Three US soldiers were among the wounded.

"The vehicle, laden with explosives, drove up to a Humvee before detonating. Many Iraqi civilians, mostly children, were around the Humvee at the time of the blast," US military spokesman Sergeant David Abrams said.

Iraqi journalist Walid Khalid said a bomber wanted to detonate an explosive-laden car targeting US forces. However, the bomb detonated before it reached the US forces, he said.

Homes damaged

A cameraman at the scene shortly after the bombing said the vehicle blew up in between houses, reducing parts of three houses to rubble.

Women in the street screamed in anger and sorrow near pools of blood in the street.

At the nearby Ibn Nafees hospital, several wounded were being treated, including at least one baby.

Interior Ministry sources said most of the dead and wounded were taken to another hospital.

Aljazeera reported Iraqi police sources as saying US forces have taken control of the highway in al-Rustumiya.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iraqi soldiers conduct a security exercise during a visit by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick at a military base near the southern Iraqi town of Hilla July 12, 2005. (REUTERS)