At least five people have been killed and dozens injured in a wave of bomb attacks in and around the Iraqi capital Baghdad in the run-up to the forthcoming local elections, media reports citing local officials said late on Wednesday.
Wednesday's incidents of violence included a car bomb attack on an Army checkpoint in Abu Ghraib neighborhood in the west of Baghdad, a car bomb explosion in the Jihad area of the capital's south and a roadside bomb attack on the convoy of a politician.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, local authorities blamed the al-Qaeda-linked Sunni Islamist insurgents who are still active in the war-torn country despite ongoing efforts to improve security.
When compared to the deadly sectarian violence witnessed in 2006 and 2007, violence has dropped across Iraq in recent years. Nevertheless, the oil-rich country still witnesses frequent militant attacks, mostly sectarian in nature, on a regular basis. Such incidents have gone up drastically after U.S. combat forces left the country late 2011.
Violence in recent weeks has affected the run-up to the April 20 local elections. At least ten candidates have reportedly been killed in attacks, prompting the Iraqi Cabinet to postpone the polls in Anbar and Ninewa provinces over security concerns.
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