Baghdad car bombings leave many dead

The deadliest attack took place in a commercial area of a majority Shia neighbourhood in Baghdad. At least 19 civilians were killed and 46 wounded, police said.

Another suicide bomber rammed his car into an Iraqi army checkpoint north of Baghdad, killing at least 12 people.

Seven civilians and five troops were killed in the attack in the town of Taji, about 20km north of the capital, a police officer said. At least 32 people were wounded.

Islamic State (Isis) claimed responsibility for the attack in Baghdad, saying it targeted Shia militia members. It later claimed responsibility for the Taji bombing in a second online statement, saying it was targeting the Iraqi army.

Isis often targets Iraq’s Shia majority, security forces and government officials, and Baghdad has seen near-daily attacks in recent weeks.

The UN special envoy to Iraq, Jan Kubis, described the attacks in a statement as "cowardly acts,” saying they "not only aim at inflicting a heavy toll on the civilian population, but also seek to weaken the country’s unity and destroy its social fabric”.

Iraqi officials see the attacks in the capital and beyond as an attempt by Isis to distract the security forces’ attention from the frontlines of their fight against the group.