Car Bombs Kill at Least 30 in Iraq

Cities with large Shiite communities targeted

A wave of car bombings across central and southern Iraq has killed at least 30 people, police and medics say.

Most of the attacks took place in cities with a high concentration of Shia Muslims - including Kut, Najaf, Mahmoudiya, Nasiriya and Basra.

Iraq has been hit by almost daily attacks, raising fears of a return to the worst levels of sectarian violence.

Last month was the bloodiest in Iraq since June 2008, with 1,045 civilians and security officials killed.

In the mainly Shia city of Basra in the south, two car bombs went off almost at the same time in a market in the city centre, killing five people.