12 killed, 18 wounded as violence continues in Iraq

At least 12 people including security forces have been killed in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and the city of Tikrit as violence rages on in the Arab nation.

On Monday, at least 9 people lost their lives after a bomber blew up his explosive-laden vehicle near a police station in the city of Tikrit, some 170 kilometers north of the capital.

Over 18 others were injured in the massive bombing. Medical sources say six police officers were among the dead.

Officials say the number of casualties could rise as rescue teams are searching for more victims.

On the same day, gunmen opened fire at a police vehicle south of the capital, killing three officers.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but militants affiliated with al-Qaeda are commonly blamed for such attacks in Iraq.

On March 29, four bomb attacks targeted four Shia mosques in Baghdad, and the northern city of Kirkuk, killing at least 23 people.

According to police officials, the car bomb blasts hit three neighborhoods in Baghdad within an hour of each other and an area of south Kirkuk.The explosions hit outside mosques where people had gathered for Friday prayers.

On December 31, 2012, over 20 people, including children, were killed and 80 others injured in a wave of attacks in several cities and towns in the country.