At least eight people were killed and dozens wounded when three parked motorcycle bombs exploded in Iraq's southern oil hub Basra today, security officials said.
The explosions occurred outside three cafes on a street in central Basra, 420km southeast of Baghdad.
"The initial toll is 8 killed, 22 wounded," said Ali al-Maliki, head of the Basra provincial council's security committee.
Brigadier Faisal al-Abadi, head of Basra police, put the toll at two killed and 30 others wounded.
A witness at the scene said there was little damage, with some broken glass on the road and traces of blood.
Security remains a concern in Iraq ahead of a full US withdrawal by December 31st, almost nine years after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Bombings and attacks still occur daily, although overall violence has dropped from the height of sectarian fighting in 2006-7.
The number of people killed in Iraq in October was the highest this year following a string of suicide and roadside bombings in the capital Baghdad.
Reuters