At least 35 people have been killed and scores injured in a string of bomb attacks mainly targeting the country's Shia Muslims, media reports citing local officials said late on Wednesday.
According to officials, some 11 bomb explosions rocked capital Baghdad in the space of an hour on Wednesday evening. At least 23 people were killed in the explosions, which mainly targeted the predominately Shiite districts of Kadhimiya, Sadr City, Husseiniya, Mashtal, Baghdad al-Jadida, Saidiya and Zafaraniya.
Meanwhile, two separate car bomb explosions in the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk killed ten people, including two children. Both the blasts reportedly occurred near a government building in the city center.
Separately, two policemen were killed in the town of Tarmiya, some 30 miles north of Baghdad, after their patrol vehicle was attacked by a suicide-bomber on a motorcycle.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's 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 country still witnesses frequent militant attacks, mostly sectarian in nature, on a regular basis.
Violence spiked drastically in the run-up to last month's local elections. According to the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), a total of 712 people were killed and 1,633 wounded in April as a result of acts of terrorism and violence. Majority of the victims were civilians, with 595 people killed and 1,438 injured.
Besides, there has been a notable increase in violent attacks since the U.S. combat forces left Iraq in late 2011. The last of U.S. combat troops left the country by late December 2011, ending a decade-long American military presence since the 2003 invasion of the oil-rich Arab country.
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Market Analysis
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.