Thursday, June 23 2005 11:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Baghdad: At least 18 people were killed and 46 wounded in three car bomb attacks today (Jun 23, 2005) in the Iraqi capital's mainly Shiite district of Shuala, an Interior Ministry source said.

The near simulataneous attacks happened at about 22:00 hrs (IST) with one going off outside the office of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, another in a parking lot and a third one on the main street at the entrance of the district on the capital's northwestern side.

Most of the casualties were taken to Al-Noor hospital in Shuala and the main hospital in nearby Kadhimiyah, said the Interior Ministry official, warning that the death toll could rise.

Ten people were killed and scores wounded in a car bombing in Shuala on June 10 and another 15 were killed in a bombing at an ice cream parlour in the same area in late April.