Scores killed in Baghdad cafe bombing

At least 55 people have been killed in a series of suicide explosions in Iraqi cities, with the highest death toll reported at a cafe in a Shia neighborhood in Baghdad.

Sunday's cafe attack killed at least 36 people and wounded 45 others.

A suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car Sunday night into a busy cafe in Iraq's capital, part of a day of violence across the country.

The bombing in Baghdad's primarily Shia neighborhood of Amil occurred when the area was full of customers. The cafe and a nearby juice shop are favorite hangouts for young people.

Violence has been on the rise in Iraq following a deadly crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest in the northern town of Hawijah in April. At least 385 have died in attacks in Iraq so far this month, according to an Associated Press count. The news agency AFP says today's attacks bring the October death toll to more than 450, with over 5,150 killed since the beginning of the year. A recent report from researchers in Canada, Iraq and the U.S. puts the total deaths in the decade-long conflict at almost 500,000.

In a village north of Baghdad, a car bomb targeted a police officer's house, killing his father, brother and five nephews, officials said. Six others were wounded in the blast, which happened when the officer was not at home.

Security forces meanwhile foiled an attack on the local council of the western town of Rawah by five would-be suicide bombers disguised in police uniforms, said Muthana Ismail, head of the local security committee.

Ismail said two attackers were shot while the rest blew up themselves up outside. Two police officers and an official were killed, while 20 people were wounded, he said.

Rawha is about 200 miles northwest of Baghdad.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday's attacks, though car bombings and gun assaults are favorite tactics of Al-Qaeda's local branch. It frequently targets Shias, whom it considers heretics, and those seen as closely allied to the Shia-led government in Baghdad.

Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures for all attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

Al Jazeera and wire services