Bombings kill 12 people in Iraq

Baghdad: Authorities in Iraq say a series of bombings targeting public places in the capital, Baghdad, have killed 12 people.

Police officials say a bomb exploded on a commercial street in downtown Baghdad, killing four people and wounding nine others.

Earlier, two bomb blasts near an outdoor market killed five people and wounded 10 others in the western suburbs of the capital. Another bomb exploded on a commercial street in Baghdad's district of Amil, killing three people and wounding 11 others.

Medics in nearby hospitals confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Iraq sees near-daily attacks that are often claimed by the Islamic State group, which controls about a third of northern and western Iraq.