A series of bombings mostly in and around Baghdad left dozens dead or wounded. The most significant of the blasts occurred at a busy restaurant near Hilla. To the north, Iranian artillery attacks continued. One civilian was injured in them. Overall, at least 33 Iraqis were killed and 64 more were wounded in those attacks.

South of the capital, a car bomb killed 17 people and wounded at least 46 more at an al-Shumali restaurant. Officials blamed al-Qaeda for the attack, which also destroyed the front of the restaurant. The restaurant is a popular stopover for police and pilgrims, who are on their way to the Imam al-Hamza shrine nearby. Several of the injured are critically wounded.

At an army base west of Baghdad in Habaniya, a sticky bomb attached to a military vehicle exploded, killing six people and wounding 10 others. The initial toll was 15 dead, but officials later lowered it.

In Baghdad, gunmen killed two policemen and wounded two others in a dawn attack in Qahira. Three people were wounded in a blast in Ghazaliya. A senior traffic officer was killed in a sticky bomb attack.

Gunmen killed four people near Iskandariya.

Three Mahdi Army members were found dead in Babel province.

A man was wounded during a failed kidnapping in Kirkuk.

In Mosul, a roadside bomb wounded a policeman.

A Kurdish civilian was wounded during Iranian shelling.

Read more by Margaret Griffis

• Nine Killed As Iraqi President Demands End to Political Squabbles – May 26th, 2012
• Iraqi Political Coalitions Still Fighting over Maliki’s Right To Lead – May 25th, 2012
• Talabani Threatens To Resign over Political Tensions – May 24th, 2012
• Iraq Bus Bombing Kills Lebanese and Iranian Pilgrims – May 23rd, 2012
• 14 Iraqis Killed As National Alliance Is Asked To Select A Replacement PM – May 22nd, 2012