BAGHDAD, Jan 31: A car bomb tore through a group of building workers gathered here in a street of Kadhimiyah district on Thursday, killing five people and wounding at least eight, security officials said.

Some of the workers were in a car and others out in the street when they were hit by the blast, which rocked the northern neighbourhood at about 5pm (1400 GMT), the officials said.

The attack took place near popular Salaheddin square, where workers gather daily hoping for casual jobs.

Those killed were on their way home at the end of the working day.

Earlier, three separate bombings in Baghdad wounded at least 12 people, security officials said.

A bomb exploded in the path of a convoy in Palestine street, injuring two members of deputy electricity minister Salam al-Kazaz’s security detail and a civilian, an official said. Kazaz himself was not in the convoy.

Another nine people were wounded in two attacks in the east of the capital, including a bomb explosion near a police patrol that wounded three policemen.

Since the start of the year, dozens of people have been killed in attacks in Baghdad despite a general improvement in security since a US troop “surge” was launched 12 months ago.—AFP