New wave of bombings tears through Baghdad
A string of bombings have hit several neighbourhoods in Baghdad, killing at least 60 people and wounding 170 others.
Nine car bombs mainly targeting predominantly Shia neighbourhoods of Baghdad have killed at least 60 people and wounded 170 others, the latest in relentless violence in Iraq in recent months, police sources say.
The bombs hit eight different areas on Monday. The deadliest blast tore through a small vegetable market and its car park in the Kadhimiyah area, killing seven people including two soldiers and wounding sixteen others, a police officer said.
That was followed by four parked car bombs, which went off in quick succession in the neighbourhoods of New Baghdad, Habibiya and Sabaa al-Bour – all striking outdoor markets or car parks.
Security forces were deployed to the affected areas, closing off streets and using sniffer dogs to search for more bombs.
Attacks often target crowded places such as markets, cafes and mosques, seeking to inflict huge numbers of casualties.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. They come a day after a suicide bomber attacked mourners at a Shia mosque south of Baghdad, killing 47 people.
On Friday, bombs exploded near two Sunni mosques in Baghdad as worshippers left after prayers, killing six people.
The United Nations mission in Iraq said about 800 Iraqis were killed in acts of violence in August.
Violence in Iraq has reached a level not seen since 2008, when the country was just emerging from its brutal sectarian conflict.