At least seven people were killed and 21 others wounded on Wednesday in two car bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a police source said.
One of the attacks occurred when a suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden car into a police checkpoint at the entrance of the Shiite district of New Baghdad in southeastern the capital, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Another explosion took place in the same district when a booby- trapped car was detonated near a restaurant, the source said, adding that most of the casualty were civilians.
The attacks came as the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Baghdad earlier in the day for talks with Iraqi leaders over building up an anti-terrorism campaign.
Iraq is witnessing some of its worst violence in recent years. According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, terrorism and violence have killed 5,576 civilians in Iraq in the first half of this year, with 11,666 more wounded.