Iraqi police say a series of bombings has killed at least 32 people and
wounded many others in Baghdad as Iraqis prepared to break their daily
fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Security officials say one bomb exploded in a parked minibus in
Baghdad's western Shurta neighborhood Sunday, killing at least 12
people and wounding 35 others.
Minutes later, a second car bomb exploded in a nearby neighborhood, killing one person.
Officials say a third attack involving a car bomb and a roadside bomb
struck central Baghdad's busy Karrada shopping district Sunday. Those
explosions killed at least 19 people and wounded 72 others.
U.S. officials say violence in Iraq has decreased sharply in the past
few years. But they say militant groups have stepped up attacks during
the holy month of Ramadan, which ends on Tuesday.
Elsewhere in the capital, police say snipers fired on an army
checkpoint, killing two Iraqi soldiers and a civilian in the eastern
Zayouna neighborhood.
In western Baghdad, police say a roadside bomb killed one person and wounded three others in the Mansour area.
Separately, Iraqi Christians rallied near the northern city of Mosul in
protest against a new provincial elections law they say fails to
represent their interests.
Iraq's parliament passed the law last week, paving the way for
elections in several provinces. But leaders of Iraq's Christian
community say the law does not give them a guaranteed number of seats
in provincial councils.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has urged the election commission to
ensure that the rights of minority communities are protected under the
law.