Iraqi police say a series of bombings has killed at least 32 people and wounded many others in Baghdad as Iraqis prepared to break their daily fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Security officials say one bomb exploded in a parked minibus in Baghdad's western Shurta neighborhood Sunday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 35 others.

Minutes later, a second car bomb exploded in a nearby neighborhood, killing one person.

Officials say a third attack involving a car bomb and a roadside bomb struck central Baghdad's busy Karrada shopping district Sunday. Those explosions killed at least 19 people and wounded 72 others.

U.S. officials say violence in Iraq has decreased sharply in the past few years. But they say militant groups have stepped up attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, which ends on Tuesday.

Elsewhere in the capital, police say snipers fired on an army checkpoint, killing two Iraqi soldiers and a civilian in the eastern Zayouna neighborhood.

In western Baghdad, police say a roadside bomb killed one person and wounded three others in the Mansour area.

Separately, Iraqi Christians rallied near the northern city of Mosul in protest against a new provincial elections law they say fails to represent their interests.

Iraq's parliament passed the law last week, paving the way for elections in several provinces. But leaders of Iraq's Christian community say the law does not give them a guaranteed number of seats in provincial councils.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has urged the election commission to ensure that the rights of minority communities are protected under the law.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.