At least 14 people were killed and 64 injured Sunday in a wave of bombings in southern Iraq shortly before sunset, when Muslims break their fast during the month of Ramadan, security officials said, dpa reported.
The deadliest blast was a car bombing that went off near a market in the Shiite-dominated city of Karbala that killed seven and injured 11 people.
In Nassiriyah city, located around 375 kilometres south of Baghdad, two car bombs exploded at the same time in front of the headquarters of the General Federation of Trade Unions in the city. The blast killed two civilians and injured 25.
Two consecutive car bombs exploded in Hilla city killing two people and injuring three.
In Kut city, three people were killed and 25 injured when a car bomb parked near a market exploded.
Explosions were also reported in the southern city of Basra.
Iraq has recently seen a surge in retaliatory Sunni-Shiite attacks which raised fears of a return to the sectarian violence that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006-07.
Militants increase their attacks in the holy fasting month of Ramadan.