Nine of the blasts hit predominantly Shia Muslim districts early on Sunday, with the deadliest attack in the town of Nahrawan, south of the capital, where two car bombs exploded in quick succession near a busy market, killing seven people, Reuters reported.

The blasts, which hit five different areas of the Iraqi capital, also wounded more than 50 people, security and medical officials said.

In the deadliest attack, two car bombs exploded in a commercial area in the north Baghdad neighborhood of Shaab, killing at least five people and wounding at least 17.

Shias have been targeted by Sunni insurgents including al-Qaeda who have been regaining momentum this year after being forced underground in 2007.

Insurgents have exploited growing anger among Iraq's Sunni minority, which complains it has been marginalized under the Shia-led government that came to power following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Violence, which reached a climax in 2006-07 before starting to ease, is now on the rise again, with around 3,000 civilians killed so far this year, according to monitoring group Iraq Body Count.

HH/HH