Dozens killed in bombings targeting Shiite areas of Baghdad

A SERIES of car bombs have exploded within minutes of each other as Iraqis were out shopping, killing at least 35 people.

A SERIES of car bombs have exploded within minutes of each other as Iraqis were out shopping in and around Baghdad, killing at least 35 people in mainly Shiite areas.

The attacks come amid rising sectarian discord in Iraq and appear aimed at shaking Iraqis' confidence in the Shiite-led government. The explosions struck at the start of the local work week and primarily targeted outdoor markets.

Violence in Iraq has fallen since the height of sectarian fighting in 2006 and 2007, but insurgents still frequently launch lethal attacks against security forces and civilians. It was at least the third time this month that attacks have claimed more than 20 lives in a single day.

The detonation of a parked car loaded with explosives in the sprawling Shiite district of Sadr City heralded the start of the attacks on Sunday morning. Two more parked cars later exploded elsewhere in the neighbourhood.

Nima Khadum, a government employee who lives in Sadr City, said the explosions shattered the windows of his house. He said the air afterward was heavy with smoke, while burning cars littered the street and the bodies of the dead and wounded lay nearby.

"The scene was a bloody one that brought to my mind the painful memories of the violent past," he said.

"I don't see the benefit of security checkpoints that only cause traffic jams and don't do anything to secure Baghdad. The government, with its failing security forces, bears full responsibility for the bloodshed today."

Other blasts hit the Baghdad neighbourhood of al-Amin, an open-air market in Husseiniya, just northeast of the capital, and in the Kamaliya area in Baghdad's eastern suburbs. Another car bomb exploded near street vendors and a police car in the central commercial district of Karradah.

Police and hospital officials provided the death toll, and said more than 130 people were wounded. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to brief reporters.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but similar ones have been orchestrated by Sunni extremists, such as al-Qaida's local affiliate. The group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, favours large-scale, coordinated attacks. It considers Shiite Muslims to be heretics and accuses them of being too closely aligned with neighbouring Shiite powerhouse Iran.

As sectarian strife mounts, protesters drawn overwhelmingly from Iraq's Sunni community have been staging weekly demonstrations and sit-ins since late December to rally against the government, which is led by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The protesters have rejected calls for violence and distance themselves from extremist groups such as al-Qaida.

There are also concerns that Sunni insurgents could step up attacks ahead of provincial elections scheduled for April 20. The ballot would be the first country-wide vote since the US troop withdrawal more than a year ago.

The blasts came a day after a suicide bomber pretending to ask for help assassinated Brigadier General Ali Aouni, the head of the Iraq Defence Ministry's intelligence academy, and three of his bodyguards in the northern city of Tal Afar.

Sunday's attacks bring to more than 100 the number of people killed in violent attacks in Iraq since the start of the month. A total of 178 were killed in January attacks, according to an Associated Press count.