A string of bomb blasts in predominantly Shi'ite provinces of Iraq killed at least 15 people today, police and doctors said.
The largest explosion took place in the southern oil hub of Basra, where at least eight people were killed when a bomb exploded near the headquarters of a Shi’ite political party.
Unknown attackers have killed six people in northern Iraq, including a local government official.
In one attack occurred early today, when gunmen killed two soldiers in an assault on their security checkpoint in the restive city of Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad. Hours later, a roadside bomb killed a municipal council member and his son in a town near Mosul. Also, gunmen in another area just south of Mosul sprayed a security checkpoint with bullets, killing two policemen. Hospital officials confirmed the death toll.
Violence has spiked in Iraq since the start of the holy month of Ramadan.