BAGHDAD, Iraq
At least 18 Iraqis were killed and 23 others were wounded Sunday in separate attacks across the country.
"Unknown militants opened fire at an army patrol in the western Baghdad area of Abu Gharib, killing five army personnel before fleeing the scene," a security source told Anadolu Agency.
Three members of the pro-government Al-Sahwa militiamen were killed in an attack on their checkpoints west of Baghdad, security sources said.
Meanwhile, at least two civilians were killed and seven others were injured in a car bombing attack targeting a mosque in northern Baghdad, they added.
In the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk, five people were killed and 16 others were wounded in three simultaneous car explosions, according to a local police source.
Kirkuk, located 250 kilometers north of Baghdad, is hard hit by violence targeting policemen and civilians amid rampant tribal conflicts.
Three municipal officials were, meanwhile, killed earlier Sunday in an attack by unidentified gunmen in the northeastern city of Baqubah.
The gunmen intercepted the car of Asaad al-Salehi, head of al-Saadiya municipality council in Baqubah, the capital of the Diyala province, raining it with bullets, a local government official told AA.
The restive province of Diayala has been witnessing rising anti-government sentiment recently.
Earlier this month, at least 16 people were killed and 18 others injured in a bombing which targeted a funeral tent in Baqubah.
Recent months have witnessed an uptick in violence across Iraq.
Although most such attacks go unclaimed, Iraqi authorities usually point the finger at Al-Qaeda-linked militants.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
