A wave of car bombings and other attacks have killed at least 55 people in Iraq, in what appear to be coordinated strikes on people celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Iraqi officials say most of the car bombings took place around the capital, Baghdad, on Saturday. They say the attackers appeared to have targeted busy markets, cafes and places where families had gathered to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Police say in one of the attacks, seven people were killed when a car bomb exploded at an outdoor market in a Baghdad suburb.
Another car bombing killed eight people in a town located 180 kilometers north of the capital.
Iraq has seen a surge in violence in the past few months, as well as rallies by Sunni minorities against the Shi'ite-led government. In July alone, more than 1,000 people were reported killed.
The violence has raised concern of a return to widespread sectarian attacks.
This year's Ramadan has turned out to be the most violent in Iraq since 2007, with hundreds killed.