Iraqi police said a car bomb attack south of Baghdad has killed at least 12 people and wounded at least 40 others.
Police said the bomb exploded Thursday in a crowded livestock market on the outskirts of Hilla, in Babil province.
The blast came one day after a suicide bomber killed three people and wounded at least 10 others in central Baghdad.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press reported a roadside bomb struck a car in southwestern Baghdad, killing a member of the government-backed Sunni group. Three other people were wounded in the attack.
Also, police said gunmen in Baghdad have shot and wounded a police general, Salaam Salman.
Violence in Iraq has dropped sharply over the past year, but the security situation remains fragile.
The U.S. military has been transferring security responsibilities to the Iraqi government, with U.S. forces scheduled to withdraw from the country by 2011.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.