Four car bombs rocked a Shi'ite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital early Thursday, killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens more.

Hours earlier, a triple car bombing killed at least 18 others in another mainly Shi'ite Baghdad neighborhood. Another 50 people were wounded.

In other developments, insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi says one of Saudi Arabia's most wanted al-Qaida militants has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in northwestern Iraq.

An Internet statement said Abdullah Mohammed Rashid al-Roshoud was killed near Qaim. It did not say when the death occurred.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Planning Minister Barham Saleh says he hopes that Wednesday's international conference in Brussels translates into much-needed financial assistance.

In an interview with VOA's Kurdish service, Mr. Saleh called on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to be more attentive to Iraq and its needs.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.