A series of car bomb attacks targeting the Shia Muslim community in central and south-eastern Iraq on Monday killed around 40 people and wounded nearly 200 others, police said.
Seven policemen were killed when gunmen attacked a police patrol in Anbar province overnight.
Two car bombs exploded almost simultaneously in the oil-hub southern city of Basra on Monday morning, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens. Capital Baghdad was the worst-hit, where hours later, several car bombs ripped through bus stations and markets, killing at least 25.
No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks, but the al-Qaeda linked Sunni Islamist militants, who have been behind most massive terrorist attacks in the country, are suspected.
Iraq has been witnessing bomb and gun attacks on a daily basis since last week proving that sustained violence is returning to the war-ravaged country more than a year after U.S. troops completely withdrew from Iraq leaving the entire security responsibilities on domestic forces.
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki admitted last month sectarian conflict had returned to the country.
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