Multiple bombs hit Baghdad markets

Iraqi officials say bombings at two outdoor markets in southern Baghdad have killed at least 20 people.

Four bombs in the Saba al-Bur area north of Baghdad killed at least 15 people, while another bomb blast hit a market in the Dura area of south Baghdad, the officials said.

Police officials said a bomb hidden behind a kiosk went off on Thursday as shoppers crowded inside the al-Athorein market in the city's Dura neighborhood. The officials said the explosions also wounded scores of people.

Opposition fighters in Iraq often target crowded places such as markets, cafes and mosques in order to inflict huge casualties. More than 4,000 people have been killed in sectarian violence during the past few months.

Wire services