Insurgents unleashed a new wave of attacks today in Iraq, killing at least 53 people, officials said, the latest in a surge in violence across the country that has raised concerns over a return to sectarian bloodshed.
Also, seven militants were killed. There was no claim of responsibility for the attacks, mostly car bombs in Shiite areas.
Al-Qaeda's Iraq branch, which has been gaining strength in recent months, frequently targets Shiites, security forces and civil servants in an effort to undermine the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.
Iraq is weathering its deadliest outburst of violence since 2008, with more than 2,000 people killed since the start of April.
The bloodshed appears to be largely the work of resurgent Sunni militants such as al-Qaeda, feeding off Sunni discontent with the Shiite-led government.
Violence increased sharply in April and May, with frequent bombings in civilian areas raising concerns that a widespread sectarian conflict might once again break out in Iraq.
The bloodshed accelerated after a deadly April 23 crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest in the northern town of Hawija against the Shiite-led government.
The deadliest attack was in Baghdad's northern Shaab neighbourhood. Two parked car bombs targeted car dealers and a commercial area, killing nine people, including a policeman, a police officer said. He said 24 others were wounded.
In Baghdad's northern Shula neighbourhood, a bomb exploded in an open-air market in, followed by a second blast after rescuers rushed to the scene, killing 10 civilians and two policemen, a police officer said. Tewenty-seven people were wounded.
Five civilians were killed and 16 wounded in a car bomb explosion in a market in Baghdad's eastern suburb of Kamaliya.
A car bomb ripped through a commercial area in the capital's southern Dora neighbourhood, killing four and wounding 15, police said.
In the predominantly Sunni neighbourhood of Amiriyah, two civilians were killed and 12 wounded in a car bomb explosion in a commercial area. Three others were killed and 13 wounded in another car bomb explosion in the northern Hurriyah neighbourhood.
