At least 51 people have been killed after ten car bombs exploded in several areas of Baghdad province, pushing the October death toll from Iraq violence past 600, according to Iraqi officials.
The wave of blasts, which hit Shia Muslim-majority areas in and around the Iraqi capital on Sunday, also wounded more than 120 people, the security and medical officials said.
One of the worst-hit neighbourhoods was Shaab in north Baghdad, where two car bombs exploded in a commercial area, killing at least five people and wounding at least 17.
Blasts also struck the areas of Bayaa, Baladiyat, Mashtal, Hurriyah and Dura in Baghdad, and Saba al-Bur near Baghdad.
Sunni Muslim fighters often carry out attacks targeting members of Iraq’s Shia majority.
Violence in Iraq has reached a level not seen since 2008, when the country was just emerging from a sectarian conflict.
The surge in bloodshed this year, which has included sectarian attacks, has raised fears Iraq may relapse into the intense Sunni-Shia conflict that peaked in 2006-2007 and killed tens of thousands.
Analysts say the situation has been worsened by the Shia-led government’s failure to address the Sunni Arab minority’s grievances – including political exclusion and alleged abuses by security forces.
The level of violence surged after security forces stormed a Sunni protest camp in northern Iraq in April, prompting clashes in which dozens died.
The authorities have made some concessions aimed at placating the protesters and Sunnis in general, such as freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-al-Qaeda fighters, but the underlying issues remain unaddressed.
