The attacks that occurred by busy commercial streets in Shiite and Sunni areas followed a string of bombings last week that killed more than 200 people.
The ongoing violence has stoked the impression among ordinary Iraqis that the country is sliding back into chaos reminiscent of the civil war that claimed thousands of lives between 2005 and 2008.
Among the most worrying attacks Monday were a pair of car bombings in the southern city of
The Basra attack drew attention to how even the south is no longer free from strife. The region, with its Shiite majority, has been relatively quiet in comparison with areas in the north such as Baghdad, where Shiites and the country's Sunni minority live close together.
Iraq's Sunnis, who believe they have been marginalized since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, have provided the backbone of a tenacious resistance to the country's Shiite-dominated government.
According to the Associated Press, at least 47 people were killed Monday in 10 car bombings around Baghdad.
“We still have a dream that one day all of us could see Baghdad without an explosion. It seems that day will never come,” said grocery shop owner Aamer
"Iraqi now is heading to the abyss," he added.
The bloodshed, coupled with an intractable dispute between Prime Minister
Security forces opened fire on demonstrators late last month in the northern city of Hawija, sparking days of violence in central and northern Iraq. The
The situation remains tense between demonstrators and the government, particularly in western Anbar province, where the security forces have demanded the arrest of three protest leaders in the city of Ramadi over the late April killings of five Iraqi security personnel. The protesters insist their leaders are innocent, while the government has amassed troops around Ramadi in response.
In the past week, the government has raided the home of a prominent Sunni tribal leader, further fanning tensions.
ALSO:
Alwan is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Ned Parker in New York contributed to this report.