Friday, September 29 2006 11:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Baghdad: "A car bomb killed five people today and wounded another 34 after it exploded near a restaurant in central Baghdad," police said.

Bombing and shootings killed at least 21 people in and around Baghdad while police reported finding 40 bodies.

"The bomb exploded at noon near Abu Tibeekh restaurant on Sadoun Street in central Baghdad. Although Ramadan officially began on Monday, some Iraqis _ including Iraqi Christians _ are not fasting. Many of the injured had serious burns and some were not expected to survive," police Lt. Ali Mohsen at the Kindi Hospital said.

The blast came after two Iraqi soldiers were killed and 10 more injured when a suicide car bomb slammed into a checkpoint in northeast Baghdad, police said.

The attack came in the Shaab neighborhood, one that just been cleared by American and Iraqi troops as part of the Operation Together Forward security drive in the capital.

One more person was killed and 24 more injured in two mortar attacks on residential areas in northern Baghdad.

"The bodies of 40 men, more apparent victims of sectarian death squads, have been found in Baghdad over the past 24 hours," police said.

"All of the victims showed signs of torture, had been shot, and had their hands and feet bound," police Lt. Thayer Mahmoud said.

"They were dumped in several neighborhoods in both eastern and western Baghdad" he said.