Seven Iraqis were wounded by an improvised bomb targeting a French embassy convoy in south Baghdad on Monday, an interior ministry official said.

He said four of the wounded were Iraqi guards protecting the convoy, and three were passers-by. The French embassy confirmed the attack but said it was not immediately sure of the casualty toll.

"The bomb targeted a passing French diplomatic convoy. Four Iraqi guards protecting the convoy were hurt, and three people passing by were also wounded," the ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The bomb struck near the French ambassador's residence.

Violence has plummeted in Iraq since its peak in 2006 and 2007, when tens of thousands were killed in clashes between Sunni and Shiite Arabs and insurgent attacks. But bombings and kidnappings remain common.

Private security firm AKE Group said last week that attacks have been on the rise since the beginning of the year, with violent incidents averaging more than 10 a day in May, up from four to five a day in January.

The rise in violence comes with only months to go before US troops, in Iraq since the invasion of 2003, are due to complete a pullout under the terms of a bilateral security pact.

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