Blasts in Baghdad kill more than 20

BAGHDAD, June 22 (UPI) -- At least 20 people were killed and dozens wounded Monday when a series of four bombings rocked Baghdad, the Iraqi Interior Ministry reported.

A ministry official said a suicide car bomb was detonated outside the local council offices in the Abu Ghraib district, killing at least seven people and wounding 13 others, CNN reported.

Five people died and 20 were injured when a car bomb exploded on a commercial street in the Karada district of central Baghdad, the official said.

In Sadr City, a roadside bomb struck a minibus carrying students, killing three of them. The blast also wounded 13 people, CNN reported

Another roadside bomb exploded at an outdoor market in Baghdad's Shaab neighborhood, killing three people and injuring 30 others, the official said.

Officials said a bomb targeting a vehicle exploded in the Hubaibiya area east of Baghdad, killing three people and injuring 13, officials said.

Iranian Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki last week warned of increased violence in the country, predicting attempts would be made to undercut Iraqi security forces as U.S. troops complete their withdrawal from cities by the end of the month and ahead of scheduled national elections.