Bombs on two buses in southern Iraq have exploded, killing at least 11 people and injuring another 25.

Police said that all of the casualties in Monday's blasts in the city of Kut, 175km southeast of Baghdad, were civilians.

Mohammed Fadhil, a police lieutenant, said: "Sticky bombs were attached to two buses and 10 people were killed.

"Women and children are among the casualties."

Sticky bombs are small bombs or grenades stuck to targets with magnets or tape and then detonated. They can be attached to fuel tanks on vehicles to cause maximum damage. 

Police said that the first bomb exploded at about 2.30pm (11:30GMT) 15km to the north of Kut, the regional capital of Wasit province. At least eight people were killed in the blast.

The second explosion took place about 30 minutes later 40km north of the city killing at least two people.

Doubts have surfaced over the ability of Iraqi security forces to keep control after attacks in Baghdad, the capital, last week killed at least 95 people and left about 600 people wounded.

The attacks were the worst day of violence in Iraq for 18 months and came after US forces withdrew from urban centres last June and ahead of their planned complete withdrawal by the end of 2011.