Police there, say a bicycle loaded with explosives, killed at least five people south of the capital, Baghdad.

The blast also injured 37 others in the Musay-yib district near the southern city of Hillah on Sunday. A separate attack in the holy city of Karbala killed three people, after a bomb exploded on a bus that was approaching a police checkpoint.

12 others were injured. Meanwhile, two people, including a policeman, were killed when two car bombs exploded, minutes apart in the visitors' parking lot of the city's Traffic Police Direct-orate.

Officials, say four people were injured in the attack. The bloodshed comes as Iraqi lawmakers intensify negotiations over a new election law.