Two Car Bombs Kill At Least 20 In Iraq

Iraqis gather at the site of a bomb attack in central Baghdad on July 31.

Two car bombs have killed at least 19 people and wounded dozens of others in a Shi'ite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The double blast in Karradah, a busy shopping district across the Tigris River from the Green Zone, occurred during the middle of rush hour as streets were full of people heading home from work.

Police said the first car blew up near a restaurant at a Karradah square, near a police station and a security checkpoint.

Meanwhile, the second car blew up outside a passport office a few kilometers away.

The explosions come amid a recent wave of violence in Baghdad.

On July 23, more than 100 people were killed in coordinated attacks against mostly Shi'ite Muslim targets.

Al-Qaeda's local affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq, claimed responsibility for those attacks.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP