Wave of Iraq Attacks Kills, Injures Dozens

Attacks in the Baghdad area and northern Iraq killed 29 people on Monday, the latest in a wave of violence that has sparked concern in a country still only a few years from brutal conflict.

With the latest attacks, more than 930 people have been killed in Iraq in less than two months — a bloody wave of unrest Iraqi authorities have so far failed to stem.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the latest spate of attacks, but extremist militants linked to Al-Qaeda often set off coordinated explosions, in particular targeting worshipers in a bid to foster tensions and undermine confidence in the security forces.

Nine car bombs in Baghdad killed at least 20 people and wounded 80, while two blasts near the capital left at least six more dead and 34 wounded, security and medical officials said.

Elsewhere, separate shootings in the disputed province of Kirkuk killed an anti-Al-Qaeda fighter and a private generator operator, while a roadside bomb in the main northern city of Mosul left a police colonel dead.

The unrest, including bombings in Baghdad, comes at a time of heightened sectarian tensions in Iraq, with the opposition accusing the government of marginalizing and targeting their community.

Violence in Iraq has decreased from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common, killing at least 200 people each month so far this year.